Gone Country (song)

"Gone Country" is a song written by Bob McDill and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in November 1994 as the third single from his fourth studio album, Who I Am. As with that album's first two singles ("Summertime Blues" and "Livin' on Love"), "Gone Country" reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, a position that it held for one week.

"Gone Country"
Single by Alan Jackson
from the album Who I Am
B-side"All American Country Boy"
ReleasedNovember 15, 1994
RecordedJanuary 11, 1994[1]
GenreCountry, country rock
Length4:20
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Bob McDill
Producer(s)Keith Stegall
Alan Jackson singles chronology
"A Good Year for the Roses"
(1994)		 "Gone Country"
(1994)		 "Song for the Life"
(1995)

Content

"Gone Country" served as a commentary on the country music scene,[2] illustrating three examples of other singers (a lounge singer in Las Vegas from Long Island, New York; a folk rocker in Greenwich Village; and a "serious composer schooled in voice and composition" who lives in the San Fernando Valley), all of whom find that their respective careers are failing, and as a result, they decide to begin performing country music instead. Alan Jackson said about the song: "Bob McDill wrote this and he is one of my favorite writers of all time. When I first heard this song I fell in love with it. I wish that I'd written it cause it says a lot of things that I'd like to say. I think it's just a fun song actually, celebrating how country music has become more widespread and accepted by all types of people all over the country."[1]

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that it was "the most talked-about country song of the year, and deservedly so." She goes on to say that it is "an ode to all the carpetbaggers flowing into Music City. Musically, it kicks ass."[3]

Music video

The video was directed by Michael Oblowitz, and filmed in New York City, Knoxville, Tennessee, and Las Vegas. The concert scenes in the video were shot in Evansville, Indiana, at Roberts Municipal Stadium, and in Knoxville. It features the former World Trade Center Towers in a flyover.

Chart positions
Chart (1994–1995) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4] 2
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (1995) Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] 55

Parodies
  • Jackson himself adopted the tune in commercials for the Ford Motor Company in the late 1990s, titling the track "Ford Country."
  • American country music parody artist Cledus T. Judd released a parody of "Gone Country" titled "Gone Funky" on his 1995 album Cledus T. Judd (No Relation).
  • The comedy podcast PolitiPod released a parody about a supporter of Donald Trump titled "Gone Trumpin'" in their 2020 "Minisode #3."

References
  1. The Greatest Hits Collection (CD). Alan Jackson. Arista Records. 1995. 07822 18801.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. "Alan Jackson biography". Country Music Television. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  3. Billboard, November 26, 1994
  4. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 7986." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. February 6, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  5. "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  6. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
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