Play Something Country

"Play Something Country" is a single by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. Released in 2005, it was the first single from their 2005 album Hillbilly Deluxe; in September of that year, the song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, becoming the twentieth Number One hit of the duo's career.

[edit] Content

"Play Something Country" is an up-tempo song backed by electric guitar and a horn section. Its lyrics are the narrator's description of a female character who wants to hear country music, as stated in the chorus:

"Crank up the band, play the steel guitar

Hank it up a little, let's rock this bar

Threw back a shot, yelled 'I'm a George Strait junkie'

Ah oooh, aw, play something country"

The idea came to Ronnie Dunn, one half of the duo, after a show in Minnesota; according to Terry McBride (formerly of McBride & the Ride), who plays bass guitar in Brooks & Dunn's road band, Dunn "comes busting onto the bus and says, 'how about this idea?' and he howls that ah oooh, aw, play something country!".^[1] Inspired by Gretchen Wilson, with whom they had been touring, McBride and Dunn decided to base the song's central character on Wilson's rough image, creating a "ballsy chick that bursts into the barroom, puts her hand on her hip... and goes, 'play something country!'".^[1] After McBride told Wilson that she was the inspiration for "Play Something Country", Wilson replied that she loved the song.^[1]

[edit] Chart positions

Chart (2005)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	37

Preceded by "Mississippi Girl" by Faith Hill	Billboard Hot Country Songs number one single by Brooks & Dunn September 17, 2005	Succeeded by "A Real Fine Place to Start" by Sara Evans