Friends in Low Places
Encyclopedia
"Friends in Low Places" is a song released by American country music
artist Garth Brooks
. It was the first single from his second album, No Fences
. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the U.S. country singles charts.
eatery. When the check came, Lee realized he had forgotten his money. He was asked how he was going to pay for the meal, and he replied, "Don't worry. I have friends in low places. I know the cook." Lee and his songwriting partner, DeWayne Blackwell, immediately recognized that the line "friends in low places" had potential, but they didn't act upon it immediately.
Some months later, Lee and Blackwell were at a party, celebrating a recent #1 hit by another songwriter. They began to talk about the dormant "friends in low places" idea, and "at that very moment, it all started to come together in a song," Lee said. Because nothing else was available, they wrote the song on paper napkin
s. When the composers polished "Friends in Low Places", they contacted Garth Brooks
to see if he would record a demo
for them.
Gutairist Jim Garver
would add the name of the bar in the song, "The Oasis" after an establishment in his hometown of Concordia, Kansas
.
"Friends in Low Places" is in a moderate tempo and the key of A major
. The song begins with arpeggio
s on the chords A, Bdim7, Bm7 and E, a pattern which is repeated throughout the verses. The chorus uses A-Bm-E twice before ending on an A chord.
The original demo of "Friends In Low Places" was recorded at Windwalker Studios, in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Musicians on the demo were John Beland (of The Flying Burrito Brothers) on acoustic and electric guitars, along with session aces Steve Turner on drums, and bassist Larry Paxton. The actual master recording of "Friends in Low Places" borrowed quite a lot from the original demo, copying Beland's now famous acoustic guitar intro, as well as his electric guitar solo note for note. When Blackwell contacted Brooks to make the "Friends in Low Places" demo, he explained to him that he was newly signed to Capitol Records
, and that his first single and first album were already scheduled. After recording the demo, the last he would ever make, Brooks thanked Lee and Blackwell for all of their help. He then expressed his liking for the song, wishing aloud that he had heard it several weeks earlier, when he was recording his new album.
""Friends in Low Places" was the last demo session I ever did as a singer. The demo was for Bud Lee and Dewayne Blackwell. I sang the session out in Hendersonville, and for the next two weeks the chorus to this song kept running through my head. I knew it would be a year and a half before the release of No Fences because Garth Brooks was just getting ready to be released. I asked Bud Lee and Dewayne if I could hold on to it and, without a blink of an eye, the both said yes. Putting that kind of faith into an unknown artist is unheard of. Thanks Dewayne and Bud for believing in me."
While Brooks claims above that "Friends in Low Places" was held for him, there is evidence that suggests otherwise. The song was shopped around Nashville, and it ended up with Mark Chesnutt
, another up-and-coming country singer. He recorded the song for his 1990 debut album Too Cold at Home
and included it as the b-side to his late-1991 single "Broken Promise Land".
Meanwhile, after the success of Brooks' eponymous debut album, he contacted the composers of "Friends in Low Places" to ask if the song was still available, and they said it was. In keeping with the raucous theme, a large contingent of backing vocalists accompanied Brooks as the chorus was repeated until a fadeout. Among the members of the group were Brooks' then-wife, Sandy, and both composers, Blackwell and Lee.
Recognizing the song's potential, producer Allen Reynolds, in consultation with Capitol Nashville
president Jimmy Bowen
, decided that Brooks' rendition was going to be the first single from his new album, No Fences
. In July 1990, Brooks' mother, Colleen Carroll, inadvertently leaked the unreleased song to an Oklahoma radio station, setting off a frenzy and forcing the single and album to be rush-released.
During an appearance on the former MSN Online Game OutSmart, Garth Brooks later revealed that George Strait was offered Friends in Low Places but passed.
By then, the song was already causing a stir. Brooks told a reporter from USA Today in October 1990, when the song was still at its chart peak, that he had received letters from high school students saying that they wanted to use "Friends in Low Places" as their "class song," only to have it opposed by their principals because the song is about escaping into drinking. Brooks agreed with the principals, saying, "We've had a lot of fun with that song, but it's nothing to base your values on."
In April 1991, Brooks' recording won the 1990 Academy of Country Music
award for Single of the Year, and on October 2, 1991, it won the same honor from the Country Music Association
.
It made the Top 40 on the British music charts in 1995 as a double-sided reissue hit with "The Dance
." The song also appeared on Brooks' 1994 compilation The Hits. It earned the #6 position on the CMT
100 Greatest Songs of Country Music broadcast
and the #1 spot on the network's 40 Greatest Drinking Songs: Morning After.
In a 2009 essay on Brooks, Chuck Klosterman
reflected on the song's success. Brooks, he argued, had filled a void in popular culture left by Bruce Springsteen
during the 1990s:
Capitol Nashville, 1990
US promotional CD single
Capitol Nashville DPRO-79217, 1990
US 7" single
Capitol Nashville NR-44647, 1990
US 7" single (live)
Liberty S7-57883, 1992
US promotional CD single (live)
Liberty DPRO-79365, 1992
UK 7" single
Capitol CL 609, 1991
UK CD single
Capitol CDCL 609, 1991
The Netherlands CD Single
Capitol, 1995
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
. It was the first single from his second album, No Fences
No Fences
No Fences is the second studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 1990 and reached #3 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart...
. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the U.S. country singles charts.
Background
According to Earl Bud Lee, one of the song's co-composers, the idea of the song was born when he and some songwriting friends gathered for lunch one day at Tavern on the Row, a popular NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
eatery. When the check came, Lee realized he had forgotten his money. He was asked how he was going to pay for the meal, and he replied, "Don't worry. I have friends in low places. I know the cook." Lee and his songwriting partner, DeWayne Blackwell, immediately recognized that the line "friends in low places" had potential, but they didn't act upon it immediately.
Some months later, Lee and Blackwell were at a party, celebrating a recent #1 hit by another songwriter. They began to talk about the dormant "friends in low places" idea, and "at that very moment, it all started to come together in a song," Lee said. Because nothing else was available, they wrote the song on paper napkin
Napkin
A napkin, or face towel is a rectangle of cloth used at the table for wiping the mouth while eating. It is usually small and folded...
s. When the composers polished "Friends in Low Places", they contacted Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
to see if he would record a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
for them.
Gutairist Jim Garver
Jim Garver
Jim Garver is a country music guitarist. Garver is credited with naming the bar "The Oaisis" in the song Friends in Low Places made famous by Garth Brooks.-External links:...
would add the name of the bar in the song, "The Oasis" after an establishment in his hometown of Concordia, Kansas
Concordia, Kansas
Concordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
.
"Friends in Low Places" is in a moderate tempo and the key of A major
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
. The song begins with arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
s on the chords A, Bdim7, Bm7 and E, a pattern which is repeated throughout the verses. The chorus uses A-Bm-E twice before ending on an A chord.
Brooks' demo
Lee and Blackwell had met Brooks when he was a shoe salesman in a Nashville store, looking for his big break. The two struck up a conversation with the struggling musician, and upon learning his background, they gave him some work making demos of their songs. They were impressed with his voice and talent, but there wasn't much else they could do for him.The original demo of "Friends In Low Places" was recorded at Windwalker Studios, in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Musicians on the demo were John Beland (of The Flying Burrito Brothers) on acoustic and electric guitars, along with session aces Steve Turner on drums, and bassist Larry Paxton. The actual master recording of "Friends in Low Places" borrowed quite a lot from the original demo, copying Beland's now famous acoustic guitar intro, as well as his electric guitar solo note for note. When Blackwell contacted Brooks to make the "Friends in Low Places" demo, he explained to him that he was newly signed to Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, and that his first single and first album were already scheduled. After recording the demo, the last he would ever make, Brooks thanked Lee and Blackwell for all of their help. He then expressed his liking for the song, wishing aloud that he had heard it several weeks earlier, when he was recording his new album.
Others get a chance
Garth provided the following background information on the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits:""Friends in Low Places" was the last demo session I ever did as a singer. The demo was for Bud Lee and Dewayne Blackwell. I sang the session out in Hendersonville, and for the next two weeks the chorus to this song kept running through my head. I knew it would be a year and a half before the release of No Fences because Garth Brooks was just getting ready to be released. I asked Bud Lee and Dewayne if I could hold on to it and, without a blink of an eye, the both said yes. Putting that kind of faith into an unknown artist is unheard of. Thanks Dewayne and Bud for believing in me."
While Brooks claims above that "Friends in Low Places" was held for him, there is evidence that suggests otherwise. The song was shopped around Nashville, and it ended up with Mark Chesnutt
Mark Chesnutt
Mark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...
, another up-and-coming country singer. He recorded the song for his 1990 debut album Too Cold at Home
Too Cold at Home
Too Cold at Home is the second album released by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt, released in 1990 on MCA Records. Certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of one million copies, the album produced five Top Ten singles for Chesnutt on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
and included it as the b-side to his late-1991 single "Broken Promise Land".
Meanwhile, after the success of Brooks' eponymous debut album, he contacted the composers of "Friends in Low Places" to ask if the song was still available, and they said it was. In keeping with the raucous theme, a large contingent of backing vocalists accompanied Brooks as the chorus was repeated until a fadeout. Among the members of the group were Brooks' then-wife, Sandy, and both composers, Blackwell and Lee.
Recognizing the song's potential, producer Allen Reynolds, in consultation with Capitol Nashville
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
president Jimmy Bowen
Jimmy Bowen
Jimmy Bowen is an American record producer and former pop music performer.Bowen was born in Santa Rita, New Mexico. He began as a teenage recording star in 1957 with "I'm Stickin' With You," originally the flip side of the hit record "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox, but ultimately a Top 20 recording...
, decided that Brooks' rendition was going to be the first single from his new album, No Fences
No Fences
No Fences is the second studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 1990 and reached #3 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart...
. In July 1990, Brooks' mother, Colleen Carroll, inadvertently leaked the unreleased song to an Oklahoma radio station, setting off a frenzy and forcing the single and album to be rush-released.
During an appearance on the former MSN Online Game OutSmart, Garth Brooks later revealed that George Strait was offered Friends in Low Places but passed.
Success
"Friends in Low Places" entered the Billboard country chart on August 18, 1990. It took only eight weeks to reach #1, where it stayed for four weeks, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.By then, the song was already causing a stir. Brooks told a reporter from USA Today in October 1990, when the song was still at its chart peak, that he had received letters from high school students saying that they wanted to use "Friends in Low Places" as their "class song," only to have it opposed by their principals because the song is about escaping into drinking. Brooks agreed with the principals, saying, "We've had a lot of fun with that song, but it's nothing to base your values on."
In April 1991, Brooks' recording won the 1990 Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
award for Single of the Year, and on October 2, 1991, it won the same honor from the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
.
It made the Top 40 on the British music charts in 1995 as a double-sided reissue hit with "The Dance
The Dance (Garth Brooks song)
"The Dance" is a song recorded by country singer Garth Brooks. The song, written by Brooks' friend, Tony Arata, was a key track on his self-titled debut album Garth Brooks and a #1 chart hit...
." The song also appeared on Brooks' 1994 compilation The Hits. It earned the #6 position on the CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
100 Greatest Songs of Country Music broadcast
Broadcast
Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...
and the #1 spot on the network's 40 Greatest Drinking Songs: Morning After.
In a 2009 essay on Brooks, Chuck Klosterman
Chuck Klosterman
Charles John "Chuck" Klosterman is an American author and essayist who has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Believer, and The Washington Post, and has written books focusing on American popular culture....
reflected on the song's success. Brooks, he argued, had filled a void in popular culture left by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
during the 1990s:
The "third verse"
The original version of "Friends in Low Places" has two verses. In 1991, Brooks added a "third verse" to the song in live performances. His spiel leading to the new verse claimed that he thought the song's original verse didn't reflect how he would really act in that situation. It is basically a rewrite of the second verse, with only the last few lines changed, culminating in "Just wait til I finish this glass / Then sweet little lady, I'll head back to the bar / And you can kiss my ass".Track listing
US promotional 7" singleCapitol Nashville, 1990
- "Friends in Low Places" (Edit) 3:45 7PRO-79216
- "Friends in Low Places" (LP Version) 4:18 7PRO-79239
US promotional CD single
Capitol Nashville DPRO-79217, 1990
- "Friends in Low Places" (Edit) 3:45
- "Friends in Low Places" (LP Version) 4:18
US 7" single
Capitol Nashville NR-44647, 1990
- "Friends in Low Places" (Edited) 3:45
- "Nobody Gets Off in This Town" 2:17
US 7" single (live)
Liberty S7-57883, 1992
- "Friends in Low Places" (Live Version) 7:00
- "Thunder Rolls" (Live Version) 4:45
US promotional CD single (live)
Liberty DPRO-79365, 1992
- "Friends in Low Places" (Live Version) 7:00
- "Thunder Rolls" (Live Version) 4:45
UK 7" single
Capitol CL 609, 1991
- "Friends in Low Places"
- "Not Counting You"
UK CD single
Capitol CDCL 609, 1991
- "Friends in Low Places"
- "Not Counting You"
- "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)"
The Netherlands CD Single
Capitol, 1995
- "Friends in Low Places"
- "The Dance"
- "The River" (Live acoustic version)
Chart positions
"Friends in Low Places" entered the charts on August 18, 1990. It reached number one on October 6 and remained there for four weeks.| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 36 |