| "Watching You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Rodney Atkins | ||||
| from the album If You're Going Through Hell | ||||
| Released | September 18, 2006 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:49 | |||
| Label | Curb | |||
| Writer(s) | Rodney Atkins Steve Dean Brian Gene White |
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| Producer | Ted Hewitt Rodney Atkins |
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| Certification | Gold (U.S.) | |||
| Rodney Atkins singles chronology | ||||
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"Watching You" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Rodney Atkins. It was released in September 2006 as the second single from the album, If You're Going Through Hell. The single became Rodney's second number-one single on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart. It was named the number-one song of 2007 on Billboard's year-end chart.
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The song was inspired by Atkins's son, Elijah. After having found out that Elijah had been singing Atkins' 2006 hit "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" to his teachers, he then had to explain to his son that it "might not be appropriate for him to be singing that in school".[1][2]
The song is a moderate up-tempo portraying two examples of a son learning from his father. In the first verse, the father and son are in the car together, driving through town. The son is eating a Happy Meal in the passenger seat, just as the father slams on the brakes at a red light, causing the boy to spill his food all over himself and say "shit". The father asks where his son learned to swear, and the boy then responds with, "I've been watching you, dad, ain't that cool / I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you".
In the second verse, the father heads out to his barn and begins to pray ("Lord, please help me help my stupid self"). Still later, at bedtime, the boy kneels beside his bed to pray as well, with his father watching. Upon hearing the boy's prayers, the father asks, "Where'd you learn to pray like that?", to which the boy again responds by saying that he has been watching his father. The father then responds by hugging his son and stating his pride in the boy's growing up.
The video portrays the events which are laid out in the song's lyrics. Elijah also portrays the child in the song's video, and as a result, he has gained recognition in public.[3] It was Atkins' second video directed by Eric Welch.
| Chart (2006-2007) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 36 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 1 |
| Preceded by "She's Everything" by Brad Paisley |
Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one single January 27—February 17, 2007 |
Succeeded by "It Just Comes Natural" by George Strait |
| Preceded by "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" by Rodney Atkins |
Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one single of the year 2007 |
Succeeded by "Just Got Started Lovin' You" by James Otto |
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