Small Town Southern Man
Encyclopedia
"Small Town Southern Man" is the title of a song written and recorded by American
country music artist Alan Jackson
. It was released in November 2007 as the lead single from his album Good Time
(see 2008 in country music
), the song reached the top of the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts in March 2008, becoming Jackson's twenty-third Number One hit on that chart, as well as his first since "Remember When
" in February 2004.
as a "loping, fiddle-and-steel-guitar-driven song", "Small Town Southern Man" is set in a moderate tempo and composed of three verses. Its lyrics tell of the life of Jackson's father, and how he was "raised on the ways and gentle kindness of a small town Southern man".
Despite several similarities between his life and the song, Jackson did not intend for it to be a tribute to his father or grandfather, although he did draw from his own ancestry as an inspiration. This is especially evident in the line, "First there came four pretty daughters for the Small Town Southern Man, then a few years later came another, a boy; he wasn't planned," (Jackson is the youngest child and only boy in his family and has four sisters.) According to him, the song is actually a tribute to anyone with a rural upbringing such as his own: "Wherever you go, there are rural people that are working for a living and raising families. They all have the same qualities and goals as a small town Southern man."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music artist Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
. It was released in November 2007 as the lead single from his album Good Time
Good Time (album)
Good Time is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on March 4, 2008 and produced five singles on the country singles charts. The first three of these — "Small Town Southern Man", the title track, and "Country Boy" — have all become Number One...
(see 2008 in country music
2008 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2008.-Events:* April 27 — A story in the New York Daily News reported a possible long-term relationship between Mindy McCready and baseball star Roger Clemens that began when she was 15 years old...
), the song reached the top of 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 in March 2008, becoming Jackson's twenty-third Number One hit on that chart, as well as his first since "Remember When
Remember When (Alan Jackson song)
"Remember When" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in October 2003 as the second and final single from his compilation album, Greatest Hits Volume II. This song is based on early flashbacks that Alan remembers. This song held...
" in February 2004.
Content
Described by the magazine Country WeeklyCountry Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
as a "loping, fiddle-and-steel-guitar-driven song", "Small Town Southern Man" is set in a moderate tempo and composed of three verses. Its lyrics tell of the life of Jackson's father, and how he was "raised on the ways and gentle kindness of a small town Southern man".
Despite several similarities between his life and the song, Jackson did not intend for it to be a tribute to his father or grandfather, although he did draw from his own ancestry as an inspiration. This is especially evident in the line, "First there came four pretty daughters for the Small Town Southern Man, then a few years later came another, a boy; he wasn't planned," (Jackson is the youngest child and only boy in his family and has four sisters.) According to him, the song is actually a tribute to anyone with a rural upbringing such as his own: "Wherever you go, there are rural people that are working for a living and raising families. They all have the same qualities and goals as a small town Southern man."
Reception
Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a A rating. He calls the song "a deserving tribute to fathers who put family before everything else, and a comfort to the sons and daughters that miss them once they’re gone."Chart performance
| Chart (2007-2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 42 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 89 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 62 |