Proud of the House We Built
Encyclopedia
"Proud of the House We Built" is the title of a song recorded by the American country music
duo Brooks & Dunn
. Released in June 2007, it was the first single from their 2007 album Cowboy Town
. The song reached a peak of #4 on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts.
, one-half of the duo, along with Marv Green and Terry McBride
, who also plays bass guitar
in Brooks & Dunn's road band and has co-written several singles for the duo. The song is a mid-tempo, featuring lead vocals from Dunn, describing a couple who are just starting a family. In the beginning, the narrator states that although it was difficult to start the family, he and his wife survived the stress that comes with raising a family, and overall, they are satisfied with how far they have come.
was memorable, the verses were largely formulaic in nature, and that it was a retreat from the "in-your-face" nature of their previous single, "Hillbilly Deluxe". Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B- rating. He said that it is "a decently good lyric that celebrates a love that started with nothing and still is fairly modest, but worthy of pride nonetheless." He also added that the melody was weak and the production was a problem.
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...
duo Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
. Released in June 2007, it was the first single from their 2007 album Cowboy Town
Cowboy Town
Cowboy Town is the tenth and final studio album by country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released October 2, 2007 on Arista Nashville. Produced by the duo and Tony Brown, the album has accounted for four singles on the Billboard country singles charts: "Proud of the House We Built", "God Must...
. The song reached a peak of #4 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
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...
charts.
Content
"Proud of the House We Built" was co-written by Ronnie DunnRonnie Dunn
Ronnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...
, one-half of the duo, along with Marv Green and Terry McBride
Terry McBride (musician)
Terry McBride is an American country music artist. Between 1989 and 1994, and again from 2000 to 2002, McBride was the lead vocalist and bass guitarist in the band McBride & the Ride, a country music group which recorded six studio albums and charted more than ten singles on the Billboard Hot...
, who also plays bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
in Brooks & Dunn's road band and has co-written several singles for the duo. The song is a mid-tempo, featuring lead vocals from Dunn, describing a couple who are just starting a family. In the beginning, the narrator states that although it was difficult to start the family, he and his wife survived the stress that comes with raising a family, and overall, they are satisfied with how far they have come.
Reception
Jim Malec, a critic for The 9513, gave the song a thumbs down rating. He said that although the song's hookHook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
was memorable, the verses were largely formulaic in nature, and that it was a retreat from the "in-your-face" nature of their previous single, "Hillbilly Deluxe". Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B- rating. He said that it is "a decently good lyric that celebrates a love that started with nothing and still is fairly modest, but worthy of pride nonetheless." He also added that the melody was weak and the production was a problem.
Chart performance
"Proud of the House We Built" debuted at #48 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of June 16, 2007.| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 57 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 60 |