"Little White Church" is the title of a song recorded by American country

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...

 band Little Big Town

Little Big Town

Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet. The quartet's musical style relies heavily on four-part vocal harmonies, with all...

, written by the band along with Wayne Kirkpatrick

Wayne Kirkpatrick

Wayne Kirkpatrick is an American singer/songwriter and musician born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School in 1979....

. It was released in March 2010 as the lead-off single to their fourth studio album, The Reason Why

The Reason Why

-Album:The Reason Why debuted at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and became their first number 1 record on the U.S. Billboard Country Albums charts, with first week sales of 41,939. As of the chart date January 8, 2011, the album has sold 150,298 copies in the U.S.-End of year charts:-Singles:...

, released on August 24, 2010.

Content

"Little White Church" is an up-tempo country song, backed primarily by electric guitar, with a hand-clap during the pre-chorus. The song's female narrator confronts her love interest, telling him that he's not welcome anymore unless he takes her down to the "little white church" and marries her. Band member Karen Fairchild performs lead vocals for the song.

Reception

Juli Thanki of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs up, describing it as something that stands out "when so many singles on the radio sound the same." She also noted that in a "time of year when an infectious, upbeat hit ushers in spring after a dreary winter," this song "fits the bill perfectly." Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A- rating, favoring the groups' harmonies and the instrumentation. He concluded that with "a few more records like Laura Bell Bundy

Laura Bell Bundy

Laura Ashley Bell Bundy is an American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway roles, both starring and supporting, as well as in television and film. Her best known Broadway roles are the original Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray and the original Elle Woods in the musical...

’s and this one, and country radio just might get interesting again." Bobby Peacock of Roughstock spoke positively of the song, favoring "the song's energetic performance and uncluttered production," although he felt the song's lyrics were "a bit simplistic in parts." 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 :...

 included the song in its "Best of 2010: Singles" chart, ranking the song at number fourteen, calling it "distinctive and seductive; one of the few bright spots on country radio this year."

Music video

The music video, which was directed by Kristin Barlowe, premiered on CMT

Country Music Television

Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...

 on June 1, 2010. The video begins with Karen Fairchild getting dressed up for her wedding before leaving her house and beginning to walk down a country road. She is soon joined by the rest of Little Big Town, and the group proceeds to the church. While she is on the way to the little white church, Fairchild's mother gags her fiance and ties him up. When the group arrives at the church, no one has seen her groom, and they exit the church. The group is then shown performing on stage at an outdoor festival, while Fairchild's mother lifts up the trunk of a car, revealing the groom tied up inside, before handing off the keys to the band and allowing them to drive away.

Chart performance

"Little White Church" debuted at #48 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 chart for the week of March 20, 2010. It became the group's first Top 10 single since "Bring It On Home

Bring It On Home (Little Big Town song)

"Bring It On Home" is a song by American country music group Little Big Town. It was the second single released from their album The Road to Here; in addition, the song has become their highest-peaking song on the Billboard U.S...

" in 2006, reaching a peak of #6 for the week of October 9, 2010.

Chart (2010)	Peak position