Donkey

Album: High Noon (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Niemann first heard about this David Tolliver, Kyle Jacobs and Fred Wilhelm penned song when Tolliver told him about it while the pair were at the Tin Roof in Nashville. He recalled to Taste of Country: "He sent it to me, and the next day I listened to it, and I'm rarely, rarely speechless. I'm sitting there and I thought, 'What in the hell is that? That's either the worst song I ever heard or the best — or both. So I just kind of laughed it off and about three days later, I thought, 'I'll go back and listen to that' and listened to it about a half a dozen times, put it on my iPod, brought it out on the road."

    Slowly, it grew it on the singer. "Obviously country music was built on amazing songs like 'Chisled in Stone' and 'He Stopped Loving Her Today,' but not every song has to rip your heart out," Niemann continued. "Sometimes it's okay just to tap your foot and laugh a little bit."
  • Niemann recalled how he couldn't resist the song. "I listened to it three or four times and thought, 'If I don't record this, somebody's going to,'" said the singer. "And if anybody was really gonna ride a donkey to a bar, I feel like I would be the one to get that vote!"
  • Want some donkey fun facts?

    Donkeys have incredible memories and can recognize other donkeys they knew as long as 25 years ago.

    A female donkey is known as a jenny and a male donkey is known as a jack.

    They can hear another donkey in a desert environment calling up to 60 miles away.

    Donkeys are said to kill more people annually than plane crashes.

    A donkey was jailed in Mexico for assault and battery in 2008 after it bit and kicked two men.

    A female donkey is normally pregnant for about 12 months, and usually gives birth to a single foal; twins are rare.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Tom Waits Lyrics Quiz

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.