Take a Back Road (song)

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"Take a Back Road"
File:TakeaBackRoad.jpg
Single by Rodney Atkins
from the album Take a Back Road
Released April 25, 2011 (2011-04-25)
Format Music download
Genre Country
Length 3min 32secs
Label Curb
Writer(s) Rhett Akins
Luke Laird
Producer(s) Ted Hewitt
Rodney Atkins singles chronology
"Farmer's Daughter"
(2010)		 "Take a Back Road"
(2011)		 "He's Mine"
(2011)

"Take a Back Road" is a song written by Rhett Akins and Luke Laird, and recorded by American country music singer Rodney Atkins. It was released in April 2011 as the 17th single of his career, and the first single and title track from his album Take a Back Road.

Background and writing

Rhett Akins and Luke Laird wrote the song. Akins came up with the song's title after hearing a friend say that listening to a Hank Williams, Jr. album made him "want to ride a dirt road right now." Laird had come up with a drum loop to which he could not think of any lyrics, and Akins recommended the hook. The two of them changed the line to "take a back road" and decided to give it a rhythmic phrasing.[1]

Content

The song is about a man who is stuck on a freeway in a traffic jam. He then hears a George Strait song from 1982 and it makes him want to drive down a country road.[2]

Critical reception

Giving it four stars out of five, Matt Bjorke of Roughstock called it "the perfect song to listen to when feeling like ‘escaping’ the pressures of the world for a few minutes".[3] Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a C+ rating. Coyne states that everyone already knew what the song was going to be about and that he gave it a "bonus + for rhyming gravel with travel." [4] Steve Leggett of Allmusic called it "one of the summer’s most memorable singles (complete with a George Strait name check)."[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Andy Tennant and premiered in September 2011. It was filmed on Interstate 65 near Nashville, Tennessee and in Carthage, Tennessee.

Chart performance

Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 23
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8] 48

Year-end charts

Chart (2011) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 90
Preceded by Billboard Hot Country Songs
number-one single
October 1-8, 2011		 Succeeded by
"Made in America"
by Toby Keith

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[11] Platinum 1,000,000

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

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ "Rodney Atkins – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Rodney Atkins.
  7. ↑ "Rodney Atkins – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Rodney Atkins.
  8. ↑ "Rodney Atkins – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Rodney Atkins.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
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