"Knee Deep" is the title of a song recorded by American 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...

 group Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...

 with Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett

James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...

. It was released in May 2011 as the third single from the Zac Brown Band's second major-label album, 2010's You Get What You Give

You Get What You Give (album)

Upon its release, You Get What You Give received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80, based on 6 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable...

. It reached number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for one week in August 2011.

Background and writing

Co-writer Wyatt Durrette told the website Taste of Country that he has been a longtime fan of Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett

James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...

 and that he wanted to write a beach-themed song. He based the first verse on a breakup. Durrette brought the song to Brown, who helped him complete the second verse and melody. After neither of them could come up with a bridge, they brought the song to Jeffrey Steele

Jeffrey Steele

Jeffrey LeVasseur is an American country music singer and songwriter, more commonly known by the name Jeffrey Steele...

, who helped them complete it.

Critical reception

Steve Morse of the Boston Globe called the song "festive" and a "highlight" of the album. 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...

reviewer Jessica Phillips said that the song was "happy-go-lucky" but "sounds like a derivation of the band's own hit 'Toes

Toes (song)

"Toes" is the title of a song recorded by the Zac Brown Band, an American country music band. Lead singer Zac Brown and bass guitarist John Driskell Hopkins co-wrote the song with Shawn Mullins and Wyatt Durette...

'." Eric R. Danton of the Hartford Courant called it "exactly the kind of song you'd expect to hear Jimmy Buffett sing, but with more mandolin." Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B+ rating, saying that the song "lacks spunk but radiates the same sea-breezy blissfulness" as their song "Toes

Toes (song)

"Toes" is the title of a song recorded by the Zac Brown Band, an American country music band. Lead singer Zac Brown and bass guitarist John Driskell Hopkins co-wrote the song with Shawn Mullins and Wyatt Durette...

."

Music video

The music video was directed by Darren Doane

Darren Doane

Darren Doane is a Christian filmmaker and music video director. In 2007, Darren formed a new commercial, music video and branded content production company called LEVEL4 with Executive Producer Josh Karchmer...

. It was filmed in Careyes, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. The video features actress Juliette Lewis.

Chart performance

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Chart (2011)	Peak position

Release history

Date	Region	Format
May 9, 2011	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Country radio 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...
July 18, 2011		Adult contemporary Adult contemporary music Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....