Small Town Southern Man

"Small Town Southern Man" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in November 2007 as the lead single from his album Good Time (see 2008 in country music). The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in March 2008, becoming Jackson's 23rd number one hit on that chart, and his first since "Remember When" in February 2004.[1]

"Small Town Southern Man"
Single by Alan Jackson
from the album Good Time
ReleasedNovember 19, 2007 (2007-11-19)
GenreCountry
Length4:40
LabelArista Nashville
Songwriter(s)Alan Jackson
Producer(s)Keith Stegall
Alan Jackson singles chronology
"A Woman's Love"
(2007)		 "Small Town Southern Man"
(2007)		 "Good Time"
(2008)

Content

Described by the magazine Country Weekly as a "loping, fiddle-and-steel-guitar-driven song",[1] "Small Town Southern Man" is set in a moderate tempo and composed of three verses. Its lyrics tell of the life of Jackson's father, and how he was "raised on the ways and gentle kindness of a small town Southern man".

Despite several similarities between his life and the song, Jackson did not intend for it to be a tribute to his father or grandfather, although he did draw from his own ancestry as an inspiration. This is especially evident in the line, "First there came four pretty daughters for the Small Town Southern Man, then a few years later came another, a boy; he wasn't planned," (Jackson is the youngest child and only boy in his family and has four sisters). According to him, the song is actually a tribute to anyone with a rural upbringing such as his own: "Wherever you go, there are rural people that are working for a living and raising families. They all have the same qualities and goals as a small town Southern man."[1]

Critical reception

Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it an A rating. He calls the song "a deserving tribute to fathers who put family before everything else, and a comfort to the sons and daughters that miss them once they’re gone". [2]

Chart performance
Chart (2007–2008) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 42
US Billboard Pop 100 89
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] 62

Year-end charts
Chart (2008) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 3

References
  1. Horner, Marianne (2008-05-05). "Story Behind the Song: "Small Town Southern Man"". Country Weekly. 15 (9): 14. ISSN 1074-3235.
  2. Coyne, Kevin John (2010-11-11). "Alan Jackson - "Small Town Southern Man"". Country Universe. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  3. "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  4. "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  5. "Alan Jackson Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. "Best of 2008: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.


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