"Where the Green Grass Grows" is a song written by Jess Leary and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on July 13, 1998, as the fifth single from McGraw's Everywhere album. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart and peaked at number seventy-nine on the Hot 100.[1] It also reached number one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
| "Where the Green Grass Grows" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tim McGraw | ||||
| from the album Everywhere | ||||
| Released | July 13, 1998 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | Curb | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Tim McGraw singles chronology | ||||
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Content
editThe song tells the story of a man leaving the big city by going back out into the country.
The song is referenced and sampled in McGraw's 2021 single, "7500 OBO".
Critical reception
editKevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying it is "tightly produced, with an instantly recognizable opening fiddle." He went on to say that the lyrics are "cleverly constructed" and "brilliantly contrasted."[2]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[3] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 79 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] | 26 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 17 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[8] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Parodies
edit- American country music parody artist Cledus T. Judd released a parody of "Where the Green Grass Grows" titled "Where the Grass Don't Grow" on his 1999 album Juddmental.
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ CountryUniverse.net Song review
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 7045." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 5, 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1998". RPM. December 14, 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ "Best of 1998: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ "American single certifications – Tim McGraw – Where the Green Grass Grows". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
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