Released June 6, 2005 Genre Country | Format Airplay
Music download Length 3:14 | |
Label Arista Nashville 82876-69945 Writer(s) Ronnie Dunn
Terry McBride | ||
"Play Something Country" is a song recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn, co-written by Ronnie Dunn and Terry McBride. It was released in June 2005 as the first single from the duo's album Hillbilly Deluxe. In September of that year, the song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, becoming the twentieth Number One hit of the duo's career.
Contents
Background and writing
The idea came to Dunn after a show in Minnesota. According to McBride, who played bass guitar in Brooks & Dunn's road band, Dunn "comes busting onto the bus and says, 'how about this idea?' and he howls that ah oooh, aw, play something country!" Inspired by Gretchen Wilson, with whom they had been touring, McBride and Dunn decided to base the song's central character on Wilson's image, creating a "ballsy chick that bursts into the barroom, puts her hand on her hip […] and goes, 'play something country!'" After McBride told Wilson that she was the inspiration for "Play Something Country," Wilson replied that she loved the song.
Content
"Play Something Country" is an up-tempo song backed by electric guitar and a horn section. Its lyrics are the narrator's description of a female character who wants to hear country music.
Music video
The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and premiered in mid-2005.
Chart positions
"Play Something Country" debuted at number 37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of June 4, 2005. On the chart dated September 17, 2005, it became the twentieth Number One single of Brooks & Dunn's career.