This Ole Boy

Album: This Ole Boy (2011)
Charted: 87
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins sing-along love song is the first single from Country artist Craig Morgan's sixth studio album. The cut was released to radio on June 21, 2011 and was the singer's first on Black River Entertainment after signing with the label in April 2011.
  • Morgan explained that the process of choosing songs for his sixth album hasn't changed much from when he was selecting tunes for his debut release. "No matter what level of an artist you are, you choose songs based on who you are at that time and how you feel," the Tennessee native revealed. "I'm at a point in my life where I'm extremely comfortable. Extremely confident. I feel good about my family, my children, my friends, my career. The songs that I picked, looking back now, reflect that."
  • That's model and actress Angie Harmon playing Morgan's love interest in the music video. In the late 1990s she played ADA Abbie Carmichael in the long-running NBC series Law & Order. More recently she's starred in the TNT television series Rizzoli & Isles as Detective Jane Rizzoli.
  • Joe Nichols also recorded the song for his 2011 album, It's All Good.
  • Morgan knew when he first heard the song that it was a tune he could make his own. In fact he immediately felt so at home with it, that he needed to check with longtime writing partner Phil O'Donnell that they hadn't penned the tune themselves. "I fell in love with the song. It immediately felt like something that I'd written," explained the singer to The Boot. "When I listen to music that's being pitched that I didn't write, I don't look to see who wrote it because that influences you even if you don't think it does. Sometimes I've had people send me songs that I was a writer on! So, when I got this song, I immediately got on the phone and called Phil and I said, 'I was listening to this song, 'This Ole Boy' – did we write this?' It felt that familiar! And Phil said, 'No, that was Rhett and Ben.' So I said, 'Well, this is definitely a no-brainer. If it feels that comfortable, we should cut it!'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.