The Good Stuff by Kenny Chesney

Album: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (2002)

Charted: 22

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This song is about realizing what you have and how lucky you are. It tells you that going into bars isn't the solution to your problems. You have to work them out on your own. There are lots of good things in life, and you can't find them by spending all your time in a bar. >>
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Liz - Patterson, CA
"The Good Stuff" was Billboard's #1 Country single of 2002.
Music row hitmaker Craig Wiseman and country music singer-songwriter Jim Collins wrote the song. Wiseman recalled to The Boot the writing of the lyrics: "The security guard where we were writing that day, Rusty Martin, was a friend of ours. He had lost his wife to cancer. In fact, he had moved up [to Nashville] because of that. Jim and I were just about to write another song. We were talking about what if you just sat there and watched your wife die. We both just sat there and were sort of stunned for a minute. We said, 'OK, let's get a cup of coffee and write a song!'

That [thought] was obviously still in the room. It was not [Rusty's] story or anything, but we definitely had the wisdom of somebody there in that song, that person being the bartender, knowing a relationship like that. I actually played Rusty the song. I told him the song was inspired by him in some ways so I want to make sure he was OK with it. He went home and played it for his daughter.

I had gotten in touch with the funeral home where he had buried his wife and had a matching foot stone made for her that was engraved with 'The Good Stuff.' I went and gave it to him at the No. 1 party. Everybody was crying. I always say this song came about because of three long, happy marriages, and two of them are still going."
During a 2024 interview with the Big D and Bubba morning radio show, Chesney was asked if there was a song of his that he hated that ended up going on to be a huge hit.

The singer didn't mince words. "The Good Stuff," he declared, "Hated it."

Chesney went on to record the track despite his reservations. "But my record label loved it. And look, I love it now, it was a 7-week #1 record."

Digging deeper, Chesney revealed why the song initially rubbed him the wrong way. "It felt like it touched on every single thing you could touch on to get someone to like a song."

Once "The Good Stuff" rocketed up the charts, Chesney's perspective shifted dramatically. "Soon after it was released, I went, 'Okay, I give in, this thing's on fire," Chesney admitted. "It was one of the biggest records of my life, so I was obviously wrong."

Comments: 13

Jim from Nipomo, CaLeah, the picture was "taken bout a year after we wed". They had children and lived their life. She died of cancer, he drank for a while, he stopped drinking. He's enjoying the grandkids.
Camille from Toronto, OhOh my God. How does someone put the perfect words, the perfect sentiment to a song like this? This song is so deep. So deep. And so true. Love this so.
Heather from Huntsville, AlLeah, I've always thought he meant the picture was taken about a year after they got married.
Dylan from Port Orange, FlIn my opinion, this was Kenny's last good CD.
Leah from Salisbury, Nci don't understand whats up when he says that she was "taken bout a year after we wed" but then goes on to talk about him give her pearls when their son got married...any thoughts?

leah
Danny from Haughton, Lathis is a good song it tells you to take full adavntage of everything while you have it there in your life cause one day it will pass on
Samantha from Madison, NcThis is personally my favorite kenny song. I feel that it is his most personal song that hes recorded. I think that you can learn from this song no matter ho old you are or what background you have. thanks for another great one kenny!
Katie from Tallahassee, FlI love Kenny Chesney's album Be As You Are. It's a great album to kick back and relax to. If you haven't heard it, you really should. All of the songs are island-themed and show Chesney at his most laid-back self.
Nicole from Cave City, KyKenny Looks Like a Turtle W/out His Hat But He Still Sang Good!
(LOL)
Cheryl from Schenectady, NyKenny said this song reminded him of the security guard (Rusty, I believe) at the RCA building where Kenny walked in and out of all the time had a wife who was dying of cancer. When she started to lose her hair she was self conscious about it so Rusty shaved his head to make her feel better about it. Kenny said that's true love.
Kevin from Fort Worth, TxKenny Chesney is my favorite country artist by a wide margin. He takes risks a lot of other country artists aren't willing to. I think immediately of his song "That's Why I'm Here" which deals very candidly with alcoholism. He's also not afraid to take on religion DIRECTLY, as in his song "Baptism" (a duet with Randy Travis). It's about just what it sounds like it would be about. He's a cut above the current crop of country artists, in my view.
Page from New Orleans, LaI, Personally, Love this song. I believe that it has a good meaning. It can teach all people something at some point. Which is why im considering it for a project...
-page,new orlens, LA
8th Grade
Kelly from Louisville, Kythis song is actually a true story, as far as i know it is about a security guard who worked/works at a recording studio in nashville. his wife died of cancer recently (within the past few years) and this is his story, i found this in a country weekly magazine article sometime between nov. 2002 and may 2003

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