I Drive Your Truck

"I Drive Your Truck"
Single by Lee Brice
from the album Hard 2 Love
Released December 3, 2012
Format Music download
Genre Country
Length 3:51
Label Curb
Writer(s) Jessi Alexander
Connie Harrington
Jimmy Yeary
Producer(s) Kyle Jacobs
Matt McClure
Lee Brice
Lee Brice singles chronology
"Hard to Love"
(2012)		 "I Drive Your Truck"
(2012)		 "Parking Lot Party"
(2013)

"I Drive Your Truck" is a song written by Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington and Jimmy Yeary, and recorded by American country music singer Lee Brice. It was released in December 2012 as the third single from his album Hard 2 Love.

Content

The song is about the narrator driving a truck owned by his brother, who died in action in the United States Army. Co-writer Connie Harrington was inspired to write it after hearing an interview on Here and Now of a father, Paul Monti, whose son, Medal of Honor recipient Jared, was killed in Afghanistan while trying to save a fellow soldier. In the interview he states that he drives the truck to feel close to his son.[1][2][3]

Critical reception

Taste of Country gave it 4.5 stars out of 5, with Billy Dukes saying that "Brice’s strong lyrical performance[…]should broaden the story’s scope, making it a big hit commercially and artistically."[2] Tammy Ragusa of Country Weekly gave the single an A grade. She said that Brice "sings it like his life depends on it" and praised the detail of the lyrics.[4]

The song was awarded Song of the Year honors at the 47th annual Country Music Association Awards, as well as Song of the Year at the 49th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Music video

The video features Brice's brother, Lewis.[5]

Commercial performance

The song gained sufficient airplay to debut on the Country Airplay for chart dated February 23, 2013, and eventually reaching No. 1 on this chart on April 20, 2013, making it his third consecutive No. 1.[6] It also debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 91 in February 2013 and peaked at No. 47 on April 13, 2013. It reached No. 6 on the Hot Country Songs and No. 11 on the Country Digital Songs. The song has sold 870,000 copies in the US as of April 2014.[7]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2012–2013) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8] 53
Canada Country (Billboard)[9] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 47
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[11] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (2013) Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[13] 34
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[14] 38

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[15] Gold 40,000^
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 870,000[7]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
"Somebody's Heartbreak"
by Hunter Hayes		 Billboard Country Airplay
number-one single
April 20, 2013 		Succeeded by
"Downtown"
by Lady Antebellum

References

  1. ↑ http://blogs.militarytimes.com/outside-the-wire/2013/05/06/moh-recipients-father-inspires-country-hit/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dukes, Billy (November 12, 2012). "Lee Brice, ‘I Drive Your Truck’ – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  3. ↑ http://www.roughstock.com/blog/story-behind-the-lyrics-lee-brice-i-drive-your-truck
  4. ↑ Ragusa, Tammy (January 7, 2013). "Single review: Lee Brice — 'I Drive Your Truck'". Country Weekly 20 (1): 51. ISSN 1074-3235.
  5. ↑ Dauphin, Chuck (November 13, 2012). "Lee Brice Casts Brother in 'I Drive Your Truck' Video". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  6. ↑ Alanna Conaway (April 9, 2013). "Country Radio Chart Report: Tuesday April 9, 2013 - Lee Brice's "I Drive Your Truck" Is Number One". Roughstock.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Matt Bjorke (April 16, 2014). "Country Chart News - The Top 30 Digital Singles - April 16, 2014: Post ACM Awards Sales Bumps: Gold Singles For Thomas Rhett, Dan + Shay and Keith Urban; Platinum for FGL & Luke Bryan!". Roughstock.
  8. ↑ "Lee Brice Album & Song Chart History" Canadian Hot 100 for Lee Brice.
  9. ↑ "Lee Brice Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Canada Country for Lee Brice.
  10. ↑ "Lee Brice Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Lee Brice.
  11. ↑ "Lee Brice Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Airplay for Lee Brice.
  12. ↑ "Lee Brice Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Lee Brice.
  13. ↑ "Best of 2013: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Best of 2013: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Lee Brice – I Drive Your Truck". Music Canada. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  16. ↑ "American single certifications – Lee Brice – I Drive Your Truck". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 10, 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links