The Story Behind The Iconic Song
Written by songwriters Earl Bud Lee and Dewayne Blackwell, “Friends in Low Places ” tells the tale of a cowboy who made an appearance at the engagement party or wedding reception of his old flame. “’Cause I’ve got friends in low places. Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away. And I’ll be okay. I’m not big on social graces. Think I’ll slip on down to the oasis. Oh, I’ve got friends in low places,” the song goes. Lee once shared in an interview that he got the song’s title one day when he and some fellow Nashville songwriters were having lunch at a restaurant called Tavern on the Row. When the check finally came, Lee realized he did not have any money. He said not to worry because “I have friends in low places. I know the cook.”. Blackwell immediately recognized that the line “friends in low places” had potential. However, the two songwriters didn’t act upon it immediately until some months later. They started talking about the dormant “friends in low places” idea, and “at that very moment, it all started to come together in a song,” Lee said. And it turned out to be a crowd-pleaser! When it was released in 1990 as the lead single from Brook’s album No Fences, the song spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs. It also won Single of the Year in both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Awards. Tune in and watch Justin Timberlake perform “Friends in Low Places” with none other than Garth Brooks.
Know someone who loves Garth Brooks?
For You
Pass this story along to your friends and family on Facebook.
Music and books
Shop Garth Brooks
- Double LiveVinylHis 1998 live albumSee it on Amazon
- LegacyVinyl collectionSee it on Amazon
- The Anthology Part I: The First Five YearsBook · 2017His own story of his first five years in musicSee it on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, Country Thang Daily earns from qualifying purchases.
