Holler Back (song)
Encyclopedia
"Holler Back" is a single
by American
country music band The Lost Trailers
. Co-written by lead singer Stokes Nielson, it is the band's fourth chart single on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts, and their first Top 40 hit on that chart. The song is also the title track and lead-off single to their fifth studio album, Holler Back
, released in August 2008 on BNA Records
.
word "holler", a slang term for a hollow or valley. In the second verse, he describes a woman named Mary Jo who lives in the hollow.
's "Hollaback Girl
", but since "Holler Back" was released three years after Stefani's song, he called it "an opportunity lost to very poor timing". He also called "Holler Back" "an incredibly tight track with a John Rich
-worthy hook[…]which showcases guitarist Stokes Nielson's spot-on[…]under-appreciated songwriting talent."
was directed by Tyson Wisbrock, and it was filmed at Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. It was filmed in front of La Grande Vitesse, a sculpture by Alexander Calder
.
chart dated February 23, 2008, and fell from the chart the week after. However, it re-entered at number 48 on the chart dated March 15, 2008 and later entered Top Ten on the country charts dated for August 23, 2008. After on thirty one weeks on the chart, it reached a peak of number 9.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music band The Lost Trailers
The Lost Trailers
The Lost Trailers is an American country music band. Established in 2000, the band originally comprised Ryder Lee , Manny Medina , Andrew Nielson , Stokes Nielson , and Jeff Potter...
. Co-written by lead singer Stokes Nielson, it is the band's fourth chart single on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts, and their first Top 40 hit on that chart. The song is also the title track and lead-off single to their fifth studio album, Holler Back
Holler Back
-Album:-Singles:...
, released in August 2008 on BNA Records
BNA Records
BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, is a label group that shares ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BNA features country music acts on its roster...
.
Content
"Holler Back" is an up-tempo in which the narrator describes his feeling out of place in an urban setting. In the first verse, he mentions a friend who tells him to "holler back when [he gets] back home", although the narrator says that the only "holler back" that he knows is "that holler back in the woods". This line refers to the Southern American EnglishSouthern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
word "holler", a slang term for a hollow or valley. In the second verse, he describes a woman named Mary Jo who lives in the hollow.
Reception
Jim Malec of The 9513 gave the song a "thumbs down" rating, as he thought that it "poke[d] fun" at Gwen StefaniGwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
's "Hollaback Girl
Hollaback Girl
"Hollaback Girl" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. . As part of Stefani's vision of creating "a silly dance record", the song is influenced by 1980s dance and pop music...
", but since "Holler Back" was released three years after Stefani's song, he called it "an opportunity lost to very poor timing". He also called "Holler Back" "an incredibly tight track with a John Rich
John Rich (musician)
John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist...
-worthy hook[…]which showcases guitarist Stokes Nielson's spot-on[…]under-appreciated songwriting talent."
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Tyson Wisbrock, and it was filmed at Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. It was filmed in front of La Grande Vitesse, a sculpture by Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing mobile sculptures. In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry, jewelry and household objects.-Childhood:Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born in Lawnton,...
.
Chart performance
The song debuted at number 60 on the Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart dated February 23, 2008, and fell from the chart the week after. However, it re-entered at number 48 on the chart dated March 15, 2008 and later entered Top Ten on the country charts dated for August 23, 2008. After on thirty one weeks on the chart, it reached a peak of number 9.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|