"God Gave Me You" is the title of a song written and recorded by American contemporary Christian music

Contemporary Christian music

Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...

 singer Dave Barnes

Dave Barnes

Dave Barnes is an American rock-R&B-contemporary Christian singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee.-Early life:...

. It was released in January 2010 as the lead single from the album, What We Want, What We Get

What We Want, What We Get

What We Want, What We Get is the fourth studio album released by singer-songwriter Dave Barnes. It was released on April 6, 2010.-Track listing:# "Little Lies" – 2:47# "God Gave Me You" – 3:49# "What I Need" What We Want, What We Get is the fourth studio album released by...

.

History

Barnes wrote the song after the title came to him while he was walking through London, England. He told Country Weekly

Country 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...

that "the lyrics just flowed together with the melody" when he wrote it. Barnes also said that he was inspired by his wife, Annie, who supported him "through all the ups and downs of an artist's career." After releasing it, he said that he received mail from fans who said that the song's message "saved marriages or became a theme for a couple's relationship."

Chart positions

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Chart (2010)	Peak position
US Christian Songs (Billboard)	13

Blake Shelton version

In 2011, country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 singer Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton

Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...

 covered the song for his album Red River Blue

Red River Blue

-Album:-Singles:*A Current single.-Certifications:-Notes:...

. It was released in July 2011 as the second single from this album. Shelton heard Barnes' version of the song on a contemporary Christian station, and said that it inspired him to propose to then-girlfriend Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut...

.

Critical reception

Jessica Phillips of Country Weekly

Country 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...

called the song "the romantic zenith of the album". Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

reviewer Will Hermes said that it was a "spirited cover" that "makes the most of its big, sculpted hooks". Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine

Slant Magazine

Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...

was less favorable, saying in his review of the album, "His weakness for overwrought, schmaltzy pop ballads rears its head on second single 'God Gave Me You,' which sounds like something Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...

 or Foreigner

Foreigner (band)

Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...

 would have recorded 20 years ago." Similarly, Melissa Mairz of Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

thought that it was a "schmaltzy power ballad". Engine 145 writer Karlie Justus gave it a thumbs-down, with her review saying that Shelton's "honest, vibrant vocal performance is nearly canceled out by a tinny instrumental mix of anonymous background vocals and a looping drum beat".

Chart performance

"God Gave Me You" debuted at number 56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of July 23, 2011, and it debuted at number 65 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of July 11, 2011. On the chart dated October 29, 2011, "God Gave Me You" became Shelton's fifth consecutive Number One single and his tenth overall.
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Chart (2011)	Peak position