Anything Like Me

"Anything Like Me"
Single by Brad Paisley
from the album Hits Alive
Released August 16, 2010
Format Music download
Genre Country
Length 4:13
Label Arista Nashville
Writer(s) Brad Paisley
Chris DuBois
Dave Turnbull
Producer(s) Frank Rogers
Brad Paisley singles chronology
"Water"
(2010)
"Anything Like Me"
(2010)
"This Is Country Music"
(2010)

"Anything Like Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Brad Paisley. Originally included on his 2009 album American Saturday Night, the song was released in August 2010 as the lead-off single to a greatest hits album titled Hits Alive.[1] Paisley wrote this song with Dave Turnbull and Chris DuBois.

Content

The song is from the perspective of an anxious father-to-be who discovers that he and his wife will soon have a son, and instantly begins fretting over what will happen if his son is like he was when he was young. He envisions his son climbing a tree too tall, riding his bike too fast, and trying to melt a Tonka truck with a magnifying glass. As the song nears its end, he slowly becomes more optimistic, concluding that "there's worse folks to be like".

Critical reception

Janet Goodman of Engine 145 gave the song a "thumbs up," saying that its humor would make it connect with listeners and comparing it thematically to "Letter to Me."[1] Chris Neal of Country Weekly thought that the song was one of several to address Paisley's family.[2] Reviewing the album for The New York Times, Ben Ratliff thought that the song was "so much smarter" for expressing the anxiety associated with raising a son.[3] Leeann Ward of Country Universe gave the song a B+ grade, saying that the strongest part of the song is the "understated production that is almost all acoustic with the electric instruments still being gentle and unobtrusive."[4]

Chart performance

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] 66
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 48
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2010) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 51
Chart (2011) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 90
Preceded by
"As She's Walking Away"
by Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson
Billboard Hot Country Songs
number-one single

December 4, 2010
Succeeded by
"If I Die Young"
by The Band Perry

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Janet Goodman (August 12, 2010). "Brad Paisley — "Anything Like Me"". Engine 145. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  2. Chris Neal (July 6, 2009). "American Saturday Night review". Country Weekly. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  3. Ben Ratliff (June 28, 2009). "Brad Paisley: American Saturday Night". The New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  4. Leeann Ward (August 10, 2010). "American Saturday Night review". Country Universe. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
  5. "Brad Paisley Album & Song Chart History" Canadian Hot 100 for Brad Paisley. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  6. "Brad Paisley Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Brad Paisley. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  7. "Brad Paisley Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Brad Paisley. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  8. "Best of 2010: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2010. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  9. "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.

External links