"You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" | ||||
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Single by Brooks & Dunn | ||||
from the album Red Dirt Road | ||||
Released | September 15, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2003 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:41 | |||
Label | Arista Nashville | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bob DiPiero Bart Allmand | |||
Producer(s) | Kix Brooks Ronnie Dunn Mark Wright | |||
Brooks & Dunn singles chronology | ||||
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"You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" is a song written by Bob DiPiero and Bart Allmand, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in September 2003 as the second single from their album Red Dirt Road . It reached number 3 in early 2004. [1]
The song was inspired by a line from the film Sweet Home Alabama . "I just invented this story about this girl. The model for this story lives in Branson, Missouri, and she's that girl in the song", DiPiero told The Boot. "We just took off on this story and came up with this song. It's got a got a cool Keith Richards/country/rockin' thing that Brooks & Dunn do so well. The song just grew its own wings and flew up the charts." [2]
This up-tempo song accompanied by electric guitar and horn section is set in the key of F major. It has a main chord progression of F-C-B♭ and a vocal range of D4-C6. [3]
The music video was directed by Michael Salomon, and features actress Marilu Henner as the mother of the bride. Filmed in Los Angeles over two days, it begins with a plane touching down beneath the Hollywood sign (except it reads "HonkyTonk" instead of "Hollywood"). The duo are performing the song with their band in front of the sign, with blue strobe lights illuminating the sky. The rest of the video visually retells the song's lyrics, with various subtitles displaying certain aspects of the plot. While the lyrics to the song imply that Connie ran off with the groom, the music video shows Connie dressed as the bride with the real bride and groom having eloped to Cancun, as mentioned in the third verse. It ends with a postscript reading "Dedicated to All Wild Women".
Ronnie Dunn wears a Johnny Cash shirt in the video. Although Dunn had not intended the shirt to be worn as a tribute, Cash died three days before the single's release.
"You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" debuted at number 60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of September 20, 2003.
Chart (2003–2004) | Peak position |
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US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] | 3 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [5] | 39 |
Chart (2004) | Position |
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US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6] | 43 |
Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were solo recording artists, having charted two solo singles apiece in the 1980s. Brooks also released an album for Capitol Records in 1989 and wrote hit singles for other artists.
Ronald Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter and record executive. Starting in 2011, Dunn has worked as a solo artist following the temporary dissolution of Brooks & Dunn. He released his self-titled debut album for Arista Nashville on June 7, 2011, reaching the Top 10 with its lead-off single "Bleed Red". In 2013, after leaving Arista Nashville in 2012, Dunn founded Little Will-E Records. On April 8, 2014, Ronnie Dunn released his second solo album, Peace, Love, and Country Music through his Little Will-E Records. On November 11, 2016, he released his third album Tattooed Heart on NASH Icon label. His fourth album Re-Dunn was released on January 10, 2020.
Red Dirt Road is the eighth studio album by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn, released in 2003 on Arista Nashville. Certified platinum for sales of one million copies in the U.S., the album produced three top ten singles: "Red Dirt Road", "You Can't Take the Honky-Tonk out of the Girl" (#3) and "That's What She Gets for Lovin' Me" (#6). It is considered a concept album.
The Greatest Hits Collection is the first compilation album by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in 1997 on Arista Nashville, and it chronicles the greatest hits from their first four studio albums: 1991's Brand New Man, 1993's Hard Workin' Man, 1994's Waitin' on Sundown, and 1996's Borderline. The album also includes three new tracks, two of which were released as singles: "Honky Tonk Truth" and "He's Got You", which respectively reached #3 and #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. In 2004, a sequel, The Greatest Hits Collection II, was released.
"Boot Scootin' Boogie" is a song first recorded by the band Asleep at the Wheel for their 1990 album, Keepin' Me Up Nights. American country music duo Brooks & Dunn recorded a cover version, which was included as the eighth track on their 1991 debut album, Brand New Man. It originally served as the B-side to their second single, "My Next Broken Heart". It became the duo's fourth single release and fourth consecutive number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. A dance remix of the song features as the eleventh and final track on their 1993 album Hard Workin' Man.
Robert John DiPiero is an American country music songwriter. He has written 15 US number one hits and several Top 20 singles for Tim McGraw, The Oak Ridge Boys, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Shenandoah, Neal McCoy, Highway 101, Restless Heart, Ricochet, John Anderson, Montgomery Gentry, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Pam Tillis, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Travis Tritt, Bryan White, Billy Currington, Etta James, Delbert McClinton, Van Zant, Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, and many others.
"Red Dirt Road" is a song written and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in April 2003 as the first single and title track from their album of the same name. "Red Dirt Road" serves a summation of small-town values and the experiences that shape you. The song was a domestic chart-topper; it scored the duo their eighteenth number one hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs ranking; it was also a top-25 single on the all-genre Hot 100, and ranked as one of its top overall hits for 2003. The duo performed the single at the tribute concert for Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona International Speedway in July 2003. In 2019, Brooks & Dunn re-recorded "Red Dirt Road" with American country music artist Cody Johnson for their album Reboot.
"Ain't Nothing 'bout You" is a song written by Tom Shapiro and Rivers Rutherford and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released on February 12, 2001 as the first single from Brooks & Dunn’s album Steers & Stripes. The song was nominated by the Country Music Association for Single of the Year. It spent six consecutive weeks as the No. 1 song on the US Country chart, and eventually ranked as the chart's No. 1 song of 2001. It also reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and ranked No. 71 for the year on that chart.
Trace Adkins is an American country music singer. His discography consists of fourteen studio albums and six greatest hits albums. Of his fourteen studio albums, six have been certified by the RIAA: 1997's Big Time is certified Gold, as are 2001's Chrome, and 2006's Dangerous Man. His 1996 debut Dreamin' Out Loud and 2003's Comin' On Strong are certified Platinum. 2005's Songs About Me is his best-selling album, certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA. Two of Adkins' compilation albums, Greatest Hits Collection, Vol. 1 and American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II are certified Platinum
"I'll Never Forgive My Heart" is a song written by Ronnie Dunn, his wife Janine, and Dean Dillon. It was recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn that peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released in November 1994 as the second single from their album Waitin' on Sundown.
"Little Miss Honky Tonk" is a song written by Ronnie Dunn, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in February 1995 as the third single from their album Waitin' on Sundown. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Honky Tonk Truth" is a song written by Ronnie Dunn, Kim Williams and Lonnie Wilson, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in August 1997 as the first single from their first compilation album The Greatest Hits Collection. It peaked at #3 on the US Country chart.
"I Can't Get Over You" is a song written by Ronnie Dunn and Terry McBride, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in January 1999 as the fourth single from their album If You See Her, and it reached a peak of number 5 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"My Heart Is Lost to You" is a song written by Connie Harrington and Brett Beavers, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in April 2002 as the fourth single from their album Steers & Stripes. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
"Indian Summer" is a song by the American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was written by the duo's members, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, along with Bob DiPiero. As Brooks & Dunn's 49th single, it was released in May 2009 and was the lead-off single to the duo's third greatest hits album #1s… and Then Some, released on September 8, 2009, via Arista Nashville.
#1s... and Then Some is the title of a two-disc compilation album released on September 8, 2009, by country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It is the duo's fifth greatest hits package. The package contains two new tracks that were both released as singles, "Indian Summer" and a collaboration with ZZ Top lead guitarist Billy Gibbons, "Honky Tonk Stomp". It is their last release before their five-year hiatus from 2010 to 2015.
"Honky Tonk Stomp" is a song recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was written by duo member Ronnie Dunn along with Terry McBride and Bobby Pinson. It is the 50th overall single for the duo, the second and final single from their compilation album #1s… and Then Some. The song features Billy Gibbons, lead singer of the band ZZ Top. The music video was voted in No. 47 on GAC's Top 50 Videos of the Year list.
"I Keep On Loving You" is a song recorded by American country music singer Reba McEntire. Written by Ronnie Dunn and Terry McBride, it is the third single from McEntire's studio album Keep On Loving You. The song was released to radio in February 2010 as her eighty-fourth chart single.
"Let the Cowboy Rock" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Ronnie Dunn. It was released in January 2012 as the third single from his self-titled album. Dunn wrote this song with Dallas Davidson.
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