Music Friday: Jana Kramer Laments Receiving a Class Ring Instead of the Diamond and Wedding Band in 'I Got the Boy'

January 22, 2016

Howard Cohen

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Country star Jana Kramer admits that she "started bawling" when she heard today's featured song, "I Got the Boy," for the first time.

A song about seeing a high school boyfriend grow into the man that you never thought he could be, "I Got the Boy" struck a personal chord with Kramer, who has always wanted to pen a song about her high school sweetheart but could never get it on paper.

Fortunately, the writing team of Connie Harrington, Tim Nichols and Jamie Lynn Spears (Britney's sister) nailed her sentiments perfectly, using jewelry to represent the difference between young love and a mature relationship. Kramer sings, "I got the first kiss and she'll get the last / She's got the future and I got the past / I got the class ring, she got the diamond and wedding band / I got the boy and she got the man."

Kramer was introduced to the song by her producer, Scott Hendricks.

"I started bawling," she told Billboard. "That's the story. Those are the words that I couldn't write. It was 100 percent true. I'm very fortunate that the song came about. It's my life."

Released in 2015, "I Got the Boy" is the second single from her second studio album, Thirty One. The song was certified Gold, selling a half-million copies, and ascended to #5 on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and #56 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Kramer told Billboard that the song has resonated with her fan base, even the men who see it from the opposite perspective.

"On my Twitter, people are saying things like, 'I got the girl, not the woman.' It goes both ways, for sure," she noted.

Born Jana Rae Kramer in Rochester Hills, Mich., the multi-talented singer also has an impressive resume of acting credits, including a four-year run as Alex Dupre on The WB television series One Tree Hill. She began her music career in 2012 with the release of her single "Why Ya Wanna."

She met Washington Redskins tight end Mike Caussin on Twitter and they became engaged on her 31st birthday in December 2014. The couple tied the knot in May of 2015.

Kramer admitted to Billboard that it stung a bit when she learned that her high-school boyfriend was married with two children. "But I've got someone else's 'boy' now," she said, "so all's well that ends well."

We know you will enjoy Kramer's live Grand Ole Opry performance of "I Got the Boy." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"I Got The Boy"
Written by Connie Harrington, Tim Nichols and Jamie Lynn Spears. Performed by Jana Kramer.

I saw your picture in a paper, Honeymoon in Jamaica, she's a lucky girl
You look so grown up in your black tux, from a ball cap in a pick up, seems like another world
You and me and our big dreams, falling in love
We were two kids in the backseat, all fearless and young

I got the first kiss and she'll get the last
She's got the future, I got the past
I got the class ring, she got the diamond and wedding band
I got the boy, she got the man

Yeah there's an old you that I knew,
Fake IDs to get into those spring break bars
Back woods on a four wheel, hanging on tight, I can still feel my racing heart
And now you're cleaned up with a hair cut, nice tie and shoes
If things were different and I had a choice, which would I choose?

I got the first kiss and she'll get the last
She's got the future and I got the past
I got the class ring, she got the diamond and wedding band
I got the boy and she got the man

I got the first kiss and she’ll get the last
We each got something, the other will never have
I got the long hair, hot head
She got the cool and steady hand
I got the boy and she got the man
I got the boy and she got the man

Credit: Video screen captures via YouTube. Jana Kramer/Elektra Nashville

January 22, 2016

Howard Cohen

Romantic Labor of Love Sees Brit Proposing With 148 Selfies, But She Doesn't Notice

January 22, 2016

Howard Cohen

When Ray Smith learned in June that his girlfriend, Claire Bramley, was pregnant, he set in motion a five-month labor of love during which he amassed a gallery of 148 selfies, each with a secret "Will you marry me?" message somewhere in the frame.

Although she's seen smiling in many of the photos, Bramley remained blissfully unaware of Smith's daily marriage proposals, which started on July 31 and ran through Christmas Day.

Bradley believed Smith's daily selfie routine was meant to document her pregnancy. "He told me he was taking the pictures to create memories for the baby so I just let him get on with it," Bramley told the Mirror.

The 38-year-old fish delivery driver from Grimsby, a coastal town about 200 miles north of London, turned to the Internet to learn about the best proposal ideas. He was impressed by the flash mobs, but decided on something much more personal.

"I have been planning to propose for a while and I knew I wanted to do something romantic," he told the Mirror, "so I originally thought about popping the question in a hot air balloon."

The high-flying idea was tabled after he learned the exciting news that Bramley, a 33-year-old teacher, was expecting.

That's when he came up with an original idea to take a picture every day for five months. In some photos, the proposal is subtly tucked in Smith's hand, while in other shots it's stuck to his forehead or lit up on a large-screen TV.

To maintain the ruse, Smith often took multiple shots, one with the proposal in view and a second without, just in case she wanted to see the shot.

By Christmas Day, Smith had edited his daily work into a four-minute video and he was ready to propose for real. He invited Bramley to view something very special on his laptop computer.

Set to the music of Ryan Huston, the video starts with a title frame that states, "I love you Claire Bramley and I love every second with you." The captions go on to explain that every day since July 31 he's been wondering how, where and when he should ask her the most important question in the world. And that question is... Will you marry me?

Of course, that special phrase is communicated in the video by 148 selfies, each in chronological order.

He ends the presentation with this request: "I love you and would like to ask if you could end a perfect year. And join me in 2016 planning our wedding together, Claire. Will you marry me?"

"I said yes straight away," she told the Mirror. "I didn't need to think about it. I got a bit emotional, but I am pregnant after all." The couple is preparing for a spring 2017 wedding.

Check out Smith's innovative five-month-long selfie proposal below...