The Birth of Kenny Chesney's 'There Goes My Life'

In the Kenny Chesney classic "There Goes My Life," the young protagonist in the song learns he's going to be a father and believes selfishly that his life is over. "There goes my life," he laments in the first chorus. "There goes my future, my everything, might as well kiss it all goodbye." Many men in American life—and women too—have known and will know that feeling of being thrust into parenthood before they planned. Many embrace the life of an unexpected son or daughter. Others run from it. Others have the opportunity stolen from them because of miscarriage or premature death.