The Garth Brooks Friends in Low Places song was released in August 1990 as the first single from his album No Fences...watch the live performance here.
The Garth Brooks Friends in Low Places song was released in August 1990 as the first single from his album No Fences. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard U.S. country singles charts starting October 6, 1990. This tune also won both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards for 1990 Single of the Year.
“Friends in Low Places” was written in 1989 by songwriters Dewayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee. The two songwriters had given the song to Brooks to record as a demo soon before the release of his self-titled first album.
As country fans know so well, “Friends in Low Places” was made famous by country singer Garth Brooks, but did you know that George Strait had the first chance to record the song? This insider information was recently released in Brooks’ new book, Anthology Part 1. However, Garth did sing a demo of the track years before he signed his first record deal.
“The reason they asked me to do the demo was because I wanted to be George Strait for years, so I do a pretty good impersonation of him,” Brooks explains. “So the original demo of ‘Friends in Low Places’ I did my best George Strait on it before I ever had a record deal.” Lucky for Garth, George Strait decided not to record the song and took a pass.
Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know, the last one to show
I was the last one you thought you’d see there
And I saw the surprise, and the fear in his eyes
When I took his glass of champagne
And I toasted you, said, “Honey, we may be through
But you’ll never hear me complain”
‘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
Well, I guess I was wrong, I just don’t belong
But then, I’ve been there before
Everything’s alright, I’ll just say goodnight
And I’ll show myself to the door
Hey, I didn’t mean, to cause a big scene
Just give me an hour and then
Well I’ll be as high as that ivory tower
That you’re livin’ in
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
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
I guess I was wrong
I just don’t belong
But then, I’ve been there before
And everything is alright
I’ll just say goodnight
And I’ll show myself to the door
I didn’t mean to cause a big scene
Just wait ’til I finish this glass
Then sweet little lady
I’ll head back to the bar
And you can kiss my ass
‘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
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