Girl Ridin' Shotgun

Album: single release only (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Joe Diffie had a succession of country Top Ten hits during his 1990s heyday, with songs such as "Bigger Than the Beatles," "Third Rock from the Sun," "Honky Tonk Attitude," and "John Deere Green." After years away from the spotlight his career was kickstarted again in 2012, when Jason Aldean recorded the song "1994", which name-dropped Diffie and incorporated several of his song titles into the lyrics.
  • The song features Diffie alongside D-Thrash of the Jawga Boyz. He recalled to Billboard magazine: "My manager called me and said 'There's a group in from Georgia called the Jawga Boyz, and they do hick-hop. Would you be interested in writing with them?' I said 'sure, why not.' So, we got together, and wrote this song called 'Girl Ridin' Shotgun,' and everybody else started getting excited about it."
  • Diffie paid tribute to the boost Aldean gave to his career by briefly sampling his hit tune "She's Country" on this song.

Comments: 1

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyCountry singer and songwriter Joe Diffie passed away on March 30th, 2020 from complications relating to the coronavirus. He was 61 years old...
    Joe Diffie was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1958, after high school he attended Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. Prior to pursuing a musical career he worked as a truck driver that pumped concrete in the oilfields in Alice, Texas, and then later as a foundry worker...
    Between 1990 and 2004 he had thirty six records on the Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, sixteen made the Top 10 with five* reaching #1, "Home" for one week in November of 1990, "If The Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)" for one week in June of 1991, "Third Rock From The Sun" for two weeks in September of 1994, "Pickup Man" for four weeks in December of 1994, and "Bigger Than The Beatles" for two weeks in uary of 1996...
    One of thirty six charted records was a duet with Mary-Chapin Carpenter {Not Too Much To Ask", #15 in 1992}...
    He won the 1993 Grammy Award {along with Mary-Chapin Carpenter} for 'Best Country Collaboration' for "Not Too Much To Ask"...
    May he R.I.P.
    * He just missed having three more #1 records when his "If You Want Me" {1990}, "New Way (To Light Up An Old Flame)" {1991}, and "So Help Me Girl" {1995} all peaked at #2 on the Hot Country Singles chart...
    Personal note to my fellow Americans, 'Please stay home'....
see more comments

Editor's Picks

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.