Introduction
In November 1994, Alan Jackson released his third single, “Gone Country,” off his fourth studio album, Who I Am. The song was well-received, just like the first two, “Summertime Blues” and “Livin’ on Love,” earning the top position on the Hot Country Songs chart for a week. It also nabbed a runner-up position on the Canada Country Tracks and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
According to Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine, it was the most talked about country track of the year and deserved the attention it got. She described the song as a musically kickass “ode to all the carpetbaggers flowing into Music City.”
“Gone Country” was written by Bob McDill, who has a resume of 31 number-one country hits during his active career years from the 1960s until 2000. He was one of Alan Jackson’s favorite writers of all time, and this song, in particular, was a “love at first time hearing it.” The country singer wished he had written it because it said many things he’d like to say.
The song was essentially a commentary on country music. It showcased three examples of singers (a lounge singer in Las Vegas, a folk-rocker in Greenwich Village, and a composer in Los Angeles) who all failed in their careers and ended up dabbling in country music.
While Jackson noted that it was simply a fun song celebrating how country had become a widely accepted genre (even fully embraced by some), some saw the lyrics as a complaint about how fake country got.
Some thought it exposed country music as a genre to “settle in” for singers whose careers never went anywhere. It was as if country was the easy route to get somewhere. As one Redditor pointed out, the lyrics felt like, “I can’t make it in pop music and I’m getting older, so I’ll settle for country, since those idiots will buy anything!”
So, despite the differing perspectives, fans enjoyed the song as a whole. If you’re a new country fan, this is one of the Alan Jackson songs you should listen to. And we’ve got you covered.
Video
Lyrics
She’s been playin’ in a room on the strip for ten years in Vegas
Every night she looks in the mirror and she only ages
She’s been readin’ about Nashville and all the records that everybody’s buyin’
Says, “I’m a simple girl myself, grew up on Long Island”
So she packs her bags to try her hand
Says this might be my last chance
She’s gone country, look at them boots
She’s gone country, back to her roots
She’s gone country, a new kind of suit
She’s gone country, here she comes
Well, the folk scene’s dead, but he’s holdin’ out in the Village
He’s been writin’ songs, speakin’ out against wealth and privilege
He says, “I don’t believe in money, but a man could make him a killin’
‘Cause some of that stuff don’t sound much different than Dylan”
I hear down there it’s changed, you see
Well, they’re not as backward as they used to be
He’s gone country, look at them boots
He’s gone country, back to his roots
He’s gone country, a new kind of suit
He’s gone country, here he comes
He commutes to L.A., but he’s got a house in the Valley
But the bills are pilin’ up and the pop scene just ain’t on the rally
And he says, honey, I’m a serious composer, schooled in voice and composition
But with the crime and the smog these days, this ain’t no place for children
Lord, it sounds so easy, it shouldn’t take long
Be back in the money in no time at all
He’s gone country, look at them boots
He’s gone country, back to his roots
He’s gone country, a new kind of suit
He’s gone country, here he comes
Yeah, he’s gone country, a new kind of walk
He’s gone country, a new kind of talk
He’s gone country, look at them boots
He’s gone country, oh, back to his roots
He’s gone country
He’s gone country
Everybody’s gone country
Yeah, we’ve gone county
The whole world’s gone country