I can remember seeing Brantley Gilbert live at the Tortuga Music Festival in 2014 in Ft. Lauderdale. While the other acts were playing some great bold new country, Brantley and his band were shredding the stage with ripping guitar solos and masterful musicianship. I remember “Country Must Be Country Wide” very distinctly because the entire 70,000 people in attendance were singing the song back to him.

According to Songfacts.com, Brantley, Colt Ford and Mike Dekle wrote this song based on a conversation Brantley and Colt were having about their touring schedule broadening from strictly southern states to more north and west each year. Brantley said in an interview “Colt and I were talking about how we were touring more North and Northwest and how there were country people out there just like us with different accents. We thought they needed some country credit, so that’s where the song idea came from. Continuing he said, “They look the same as the people here in Georgia or Nashville, they just talk different but they like the same things. A lot of people live in those cities, but not everybody is from there. Not everybody is from New York City. They do know what a dirt road is, what sweet tea is. We didn’t write nothing except being honest about what we know about. It turns out those country people are everywhere. They really are.”

“I was gasin’ up the other day
And an ol’ boy pulled up with a license plate
From Ohio I thought oh good Lord he’s lost
From his wranglers to his boots
He reminded me of Chris LeDoux
And that Copenhagen smile
Country must be country wide”

Welcome to Lunchtime Lyrics on The Coyote – Bold New Country! Every weekday at noon, we dig into the heart of country music, breaking down the origins and lyrics behind the tunes that define the genre. From heartfelt ballads to toe-tapping anthems, we’ve got the stories you didn’t know you needed. Grab your lunch and settle in, it’s time to uncover the secrets behind your favorite tracks.

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