Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Here’s A Song for Every Football Fans: “The Boys of Fall” by Kenny Chesney

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

In 2010, Kenny Chesney released “The Boys of Fall,” and it quickly became the unofficial anthem for high school football, celebrating the teamwork and dedication it takes to play the sport. 

The song was off Chesney’s 12th studio album, Hemingway’s Whiskey. It debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts at No. 17, making it the singer’s highest debut on the charts since 2007. It climbed up to No. 1 after a few months and also peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the 2010 high school football season commenced across the nation.

A Song Every Football Lovers Could Relate To

Written by Nashville songwriters Dave Turnbull and Casey Beathard, “The Boys of Fall” was inspired by their love for football, as well as the players and fans as they prepare for the commencement of the season.

Co-writer Casey Beathard walked us through the story behind this song. 

He revealed that football is his biggest passion, in addition to songwriting and being the family man he is. “If I’m not with my family or writing, I’m at home, just watching football. That’s my background: My dad and brothers were in football, and I have a big passion for it. I’m coaching my kids all through it,” he told The Boot.

“That phrase, “the boys of fall,” is something I’d heard a while back. It was something about, “I miss the boys of fall.” I wrote it down and sat on it for a while.”

Fast forward to the day of Turnbull and Beathard’s songwriting session, the duo found themselves with nothing to write. Luckily, football season was coming, and the two songwriters started talking about football. That’s when the phrase came back to Beathard, and the rest was history!

“It was not so much about football as much as we were talking about life. I always coordinate football with life anyway — leaning on each other and all that stuff you face in life,” Beathard added. “There’s not a small town — or any town — in this country that doesn’t get it. This is where football came from. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a big song about football until now.”

And the moment country singer Kenny Chesney heard the song; he knew he wanted to record it. After all, its subject matter of a love of high school football is close to his heart. 

“I just stopped right there and played it over and over again,” the singer said. “I knew – as maybe only someone who has felt that thrill of rushing out onto the field on a cold Friday night can – that was exactly how it is. It also gives you a sense of why playing football in high school is such a powerful thing for anyone who does it. It’s life-changing. For anyone who’s never experienced that, this song helps them understand why.”

In another interview, Chesney also revealed that “The Boys of Fall” is the perfect description of how he grew up and where he grew up. “There’s a line in the song that says, ‘In little towns like mine, that’s all we got.’ And that’s the way it was in East Tennessee, and still is. I’ve got a lot of guys from East Tennessee out on the road [with me] that grew up the same way,” Chesney said.

Indeed, the song meant so much to Chesney. You can watch one of Chesney’s remarkable performances of “The Boys of Fall” in the video below.

Latest Stories

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...

Miranda Lambert plays guitar in a cozy bedroom, the perfect moment that shows how she made “The House That Built Me” a classic.

Blake Shelton Was Supposed to Sing “The House That Built Me” Then Miranda Lambert Made It a Classic

Sometimes, the best country songs don’t just find a voice. They rip your chest open and remind you why Nashville can still surprise the hell out of you. Back in ...

Kellie Pickler with her late husband Kyle Jacobs, whose parents now call her “callous” in their feud over his estate and home.

Kellie Pickler’s In-Laws Brand Her “Callous” for Blocking Them From Late Son’s Home

Country music knows heartbreak, but sometimes it hits hardest when the lights are out, and the lawyers start circling. Just ask Kellie Pickler, now knee-deep in a brutal court fight ...

John Schneider’s ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ tribute honors Rick Hurst, pictured here as Deputy Cletus Hogg with the cast smiling.

‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Honors Rick Hurst With Heartbreaking Tribute

Sometimes, the characters you remember best weren’t the heroes behind the wheel but the guys you’d see rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when the dust settled. Rick Hurst ...

Taylor Swift smiles while strumming a guitar onstage in Nashville, sparking rumors about a possible country music return.

Taylor Swift Crashes Kane Brown’s Nashville Set and Now Everyone’s Wondering if She’s Going Country Again

Taylor Swift showed up in Nashville like a pop comet trying to burn her way back into country music’s atmosphere. It all went down at Tight End University’s charity concert ...

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton burst into laughter during a playful, no-holds-barred roast session on her talk show set.

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton Bicker Like Siblings in a New Interview and It’s TV Gold

Two country megastars walk into a studio. One has 30 number ones and a new album, while the other is hosting the show but not having it. Cue the fireworks. ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.