Gretchen Peters believes in the little things. The Nashville songwriter was tired of seeing self-help books that promised to turn readers’ lives around in a few easy steps.

She decided to write a song about two guys sitting at the “Starlight Bar,” pondering “The Secret of Life.” They decide it can be found in “a good cup of coffee” and “the right woman.” But, mostly, “The secret of life is nothing at all.” The song was a surprising choice for country star Faith Hill, who turned it into a hit song in 1999. Peters shared the story of “The Secret of Life” with Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association International.

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