Everything You Need to Know About Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places Lyrics and Story
by Alex Harris
31st May, 2023
Friends in Low Places, one of Garth Brooks’ most famous songs, captures the heart of country music with its storytelling, relatable lyrics, and infectious melody. The song was released as the lead single from his album No Fences on August 6, 1990, and spent four weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs. But what is the story behind Garth Brooks Friends in Low Places lyrics, and who originally sang Friends in Low Places?
The Origin of Friends in Low Places
Written by Earl Bud Lee and Dewayne Blackwell in 1989, “Friends in Low Places” was first released by David Wayne Chamberlain before it became synonymous with Garth Brooks. The song’s creation story is an intriguing one. According to Lee, the idea was born during a lunch at Tavern on the Row, a popular Nashville eatery. When Lee realised he had forgotten his money to pay for the meal, he jokingly told his friends, “Don’t worry. I have friends in low places. I know the cook.” This line would later inspire the title and theme of the song.
A few months later, Lee and Blackwell found themselves at a party, discussing the potential of this dormant idea. The song was written on paper napkins, with the lyrics and melody quickly coming together. The name of the bar mentioned in the song, “The Oasis,” was added by guitarist James Garver after an establishment in his hometown of Concordia, Kansas.
Garth Brooks and Friends in Low Places
When the songwriters polished “Friends in Low Places,” they approached Garth Brooks to record a demo for them. At the time, Brooks was a relatively unknown singer who had met the songwriters while working as a shoe salesman in a Nashville store. Impressed with his talent, they gave him some work making demos of their songs.
The demo of “Friends in Low Places” was recorded at Windwalker Studios in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. The musicians on the demo included John Beland on acoustic and electric guitars, Steve Turner on drums, and bassist Larry Paxton. The actual master recording of the song borrowed a lot from the original demo, copying Beland’s now-famous acoustic guitar intro.
The song also had some interesting reactions from Brooks’ ex-wife, Sandy Mahl, and from songwriter Mark Chestnutt. According to Brooks’ biography The Road Out of Santa Fe by Patsi Bale Cox, Mahl was not happy when she heard Brooks sing “Honey we may be through but you’ll never hear me complain” at one of his concerts. She reportedly threw her wedding ring at him backstage after that performance. Chestnutt also claimed that he was offered to record Friends in Low Places before Brooks did, but he turned it down because he thought it was too similar to another song he had recorded called Too Cold at Home.
The song also faced some legal issues over its royalties. In 2017, Blackwell sued Sony/ATV Music Publishing for $5 million for allegedly withholding royalties from him for more than 20 years. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2018.
Friends in Low Places Lyrics Meaning
The lyrics of “Garth Brooks Friends in Low Places” narrate the story of a man who crashes an upscale social event, clearly out of place in his boots amidst a black-tie affair. This is beautifully captured in the opening lines, “Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots, And ruined your black tie affair.” Despite the apparent scorn from the upper-class attendees, the protagonist remains unbothered, as he has his “friends in low places”.
The phrase “I’ve got friends in low places” is interpreted as the protagonist’s connection to everyday, working-class people. It’s a message of finding comfort and camaraderie in the company of ordinary folks, as opposed to the pretentiousness of high society. The bar, referred to in the lyrics, acts as a symbolic refuge where the protagonist drowns his sorrows in whisky and beer, making his blues fade away.
Lyrics Analysis
Friends in Low Places is a celebration of honky-tonk culture and a rejection of social graces and pretensions. The song’s lyrics are catchy, humorous, and relatable, and they convey the song’s tone and theme with some key words and phrases. Let’s take a look at some of them:
- Blame it all on my roots: This phrase suggests that the narrator is proud of his humble origins and doesn’t care about fitting in with high society. It also implies that he has a strong sense of identity and belonging among his friends in low places.
- I’ve got friends in low places: This is the main refrain of the song, and it expresses the narrator’s loyalty and gratitude to his friends who support him and make him happy. It also contrasts his simple and authentic lifestyle with his ex-girlfriend’s fake and snobbish one.
- Where the whisky drowns and the beer chases my blues away: This line describes how the narrator copes with his heartbreak and sadness by drinking alcohol with his friends. It also shows how he finds joy and comfort in the honky-tonk atmosphere.
- I’m not big on social graces: This line reveals the narrator’s disdain for formalities and etiquette and his preference for being himself and having fun. It also sets up the next line, where he says he’ll slip on down to the oasis, which is a metaphor for his escape from the wedding to his favourite place.
- Oh, I’ve got friends in low places: This line repeats the chorus but adds an “oh” at the beginning, which adds emphasis and emotion to the narrator’s statement. It also serves as a transition to the next verse, where he continues his story.
The song has two verses in the original version, but a third verse was added for Garth Brooks’ live album Double Live in 1998. The third verse shows how the narrator admits his mistake and says goodbye to his ex-girlfriend, but not without a final jab at her. He says he’ll head back to the bar and tells her to kiss his ass. This verse adds more humour and drama to the song, and it also gives the narrator more closure.
Musical Structure of Friends in Low Places
“Friends in Low Places” is in a moderate tempo and the key of A major. The song begins with arpeggios on the chords A, B♭dim 7, B_{m}7, and E_{add}9, a pattern that is repeated throughout the verses. The intro was not originally part of the song but was improvised by session guitarist Mark Casstevens. The chorus uses A-B_{m}-E twice before ending on an A chord. An electric guitar solo with pedal steel guitar flourishes is played between the first chorus and second verse.
Song’s Impact and Legacy
Friends in Low Places became a huge hit for Garth Brooks and for country music in general. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for four weeks in 1990, and it won both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards for Single of the Year that same year. It also crossed over to other charts, such as the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 36.
The song also became a fan favourite and a staple at Brooks’ concerts. It is often sung along by thousands of fans who know every word by heart. It is also considered one of Brooks’ signature songs and one of his most influential songs. It helped him establish his image as a charismatic and rebellious country star who appealed to both traditionalists and newcomers.
The song also influenced other artists and genres who covered or performed it with Brooks over the years. Some of them include George Strait, Jason Aldean, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, and many more.
The song also inspired Garth Brooks to open a bar and restaurant in Nashville called Friends in Low Places, which he announced in 2022. The bar is expected to open in 2023, and it will feature memorabilia from Brooks’ career as well as live music and honky-tonk food and drinks. Brooks described the bar as “a classic honky-tonk” and “the Chick-fil-A of bars”.
Conclusion
Friends in Low Places is a cultural phenomenon that has touched millions of people with its lyrics and story. It is a song that celebrates the honky-tonk lifestyle and rejects social norms and expectations, resonating with anyone who has ever felt out of place or heartbroken. It is a song that showcases Garth Brooks’ talent and charisma, as well as his influence and legacy on country music and beyond.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also like to check out some other resources related to Friends in Low Places: