we can Grow Old with Grace because All I Want Is You… so let’s have fun until Closing Time during this Jimmy Buffett Summer!

Hello, my favorite Monday peeps! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! As usual, it seemed to fly by at warp speed—I’m pretty sure weekends operate on an entirely different clock than the rest of the week. 😂

Just when you’re settling into weekend mode, Monday comes knocking on the door again!

And apparently Mother Nature has decided summer isn’t quite finished with us yet, because she’s cranking up the thermostat again today and tomorrow. 🥵 I’m planning to stay as cool as possible, keep the cold beverages handy, and remind myself that at least we have some great music to distract us from the heat.

So crank up the tunes, find yourself a nice shady spot—or better yet, some air conditioning—and let’s get this Monday’s Music Moves Me party started!

Let’s start with a brand new song from this favorite group – some love songs are filled with grand promises and fairy-tale romance, but sometimes the sweetest ones are simply about wanting to spend all the ordinary years ahead with the person you love.

This beautiful new song looks beyond the butterflies and excitement of falling in love and toward something even more meaningful: growing older side by side, embracing the changes life brings, and still choosing each other through all of it.

And there’s an absolutely lovely story hiding inside the title. The singer recently revealed that it’s a bit of clever wordplay inspired by his wife. Her name translates to “grace” in French, so his wish to grow old gracefully also carries a much more personal meaning—he wants to grow old with her.

It’s one of those little details that completely changes how you hear the song once you know it, and I think it makes an already beautiful love song even sweeter.

Get ready for goosebumps; here’s The Script with “Grow Old with Grace”:

Next up is a brand-new song from this favorite artist – it’s so easy to convince ourselves that happiness is waiting somewhere just ahead of us—after the next accomplishment, the next goal, the next paycheck, or whatever shiny thing we’ve decided will finally make us feel like we’ve “made it.”

This brand-new love song came from the singer realizing that he sometimes falls into that trap himself, chasing the next big thing while forgetting that everything that matters most is already waiting for him at home.

He describes the song as a musical reminder to himself that his wife and daughters are his “north star,” and that sentiment is at the heart of everything here. There’s also something new happening musically: after years of trying to find just the right way to incorporate cello into his pop sound, he finally feels he’s found it.

The result is big, sweeping and romantic, but underneath it all is an incredibly simple message: stop chasing what you think will make you happy long enough to recognize the people who already do. 

Get ready to dance; here’s Andy Grammer with “All I Want Is You”:

Next up is a brand-new song collaboration from these favorite peeps – there’s something about last call that has inspired more than a few songs over the years, but this brand-new collaboration puts a wonderfully flirtatious spin on it.

Two people have spent the evening talking, drinking, dancing around their attraction, and suddenly the lights are coming up. Enough with discussing old relationships and playing it safe—it’s 2 a.m., the night is ending, and somebody needs to decide whether they’re going home alone. 😉

Interestingly, the song had been waiting for its moment for a couple of years. One of the singers originally co-wrote it during the sessions for her own 2024 album alongside one member of the group and an all-female team of Nashville songwriters, but it never made that record.

Now the group has brought it back to life with its original co-writer joining them on vocals—and she says she’s downright “giddy” that the song finally found its home.

Sometimes a song just has to wait for the right people and the right moment…rather appropriate for a song about deciding whether you’ve waited long enough, don’t you think? 😏

Get ready for some fun; here’s Little Big Town and Kelsea Ballerini with “Closing Time”:

Last but certainly not least, as we close out summer, I thought this was the perfect way to do so. Some artists leave behind more than a catalog of songs—they leave behind an entire way of looking at life. This breezy summer tune is a loving tribute to one legendary musician’s philosophy of sandy feet, boat drinks, island time, good friends, and occasionally disappearing off the map for a while. 

But underneath all that sunshine is a bigger message: enjoy the life you’re living, love your people fiercely, and make the memories now instead of waiting for “someday.”

There’s also a wonderfully personal story behind this one. The singer wrote it with his wife, marking the very first time the two have written a song together. They’re both longtime fans of the musical legend who inspired it, and the singer says his wife has always been his muse—but actually writing together brought a whole new spark to their relationship.

So while the song is certainly a tribute to a beloved musical icon, it’s also a love song to the woman beside him and the carefree, memory-making life they share. Now that’s my kind of summer.

Without further ado, here’s Brian Kelley with “Jimmy Buffett Summer”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Now, onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Moves Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!