In a promotional NPR interview, Dolly Parton commented that people who come to Nashville, Tennessee, are “running to something, and some are running from something. But mostly they’re running to a future” (Dreams do still come true, Martin). In other words, country music hopefuls, including her younger self, alight in Nashville wishing to draw a line between their past pain, poverty, and obscurity and their future success. However, Parton emphasized that despite the desire to leave one’s past behind, “it’s very important [to] tell the truth”—and that frustrating experiences often inform good songwriting and a compelling voice (Martin).

Both AnnieLee and Ethan exemplify the idea of running away to run toward when they jump states and arrive in Nashville. Ethan runs from small-town notoriety in North Carolina, AnnieLee from poverty and sexual exploitation in Arkansas and Texas. Each finds salvation in country music, as studying others’ tunes and riffs and composing their own songs distracts them from the past and forges a path forward. As they throw themselves into playing in honkytonks and building their careers, whether as country superstars or backing musicians, they continually banish the past from their thoughts and conversation.