"Right Where I Need to Be" is a song written by Casey Beathard

Casey Beathard

Casey Beathard is an American country music songwriter. The son of former NFL general manager Bobby Beathard, he has co-written singles for several country music recording artists, including Top Ten singles for Gary Allan, Billy Ray Cyrus, Trace Adkins, and Kenny Chesney...

 and Kendell Marvel and recorded by 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...

 artist Gary Allan

Gary Allan

Gary Allan Herzberg is an American country music artist, known professionally as Gary Allan.Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his debut on the United States country music scene with the release of his single "Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album Used Heart for Sale,...

. It is the last single released from his 1999 album Smoke Rings in the Dark

Smoke Rings in the Dark

-Album:-Singles:-Certifications:-Personnel:*Gary Allan – lead vocals*Lisa Cochran – background vocals*Christy Cornelius – background vocals*Chad Cromwell – drums*Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar*Steve Gibson – electric guitar...

. It reached #5 in June 2001, thus becoming his first top 5 hit, as well as his third top 10 hit. Before it was released as a single, it charted from unsolicted airplay while "Lovin' You Against My Will" was climbing the charts. According to Joel Whitburn

Joel Whitburn

Joel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...

's Hot Country Songs 1944–2008, this song spent 48 weeks on the country charts, giving it the longest chart run of that decade. "Right Where I Need to Be" entered Top Ten on 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...

 in its fortieth week on the chart, making it tied for the fourth slowest climb into the Top Ten in the chart's history.

Before its release, "Right Where I Need to Be" was the b-side to the album's title track

Smoke Rings in the Dark (song)

"Smoke Rings in the Dark" is a song written by Rivers Rutherford and Houston Robert, and recorded by country music artist Gary Allan. It is the lead-off single to his 1999 album of the same name. It was released in August 1999, and peaked at #12 on the U.S. country chart in February 2000 and at #5...

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Content

In "Right Where I Need to Be", the narrator is a promotion-bound executive who is climbing the corporate ladder at the expense of his private life. His boss says he will get a promotion if he flies to New Orleans on business. The executive decides to leave his first-class seat empty in favor of staying with his significant other. He states that being with his lover is right where he needs to be.

Music video

The music video was directed by Chris Rogers. The video was shot on a deserted runway at the Nashville International Airport

Nashville International Airport

Nashville International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in southeastern Nashville, Tennessee. The IATA Airport Code BNA is derived from the early name of the facility—Berry Field, NAshville. Berry Field was the name of the airport until 1988, when the name was changed to reflect...

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Chart performance

"Right Where I Need to Be" debuted at number 75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 22, 2000. It re-entered the charts as an official single at number 65 for the chart week of September 16, 2000. > >

Chart (2000-2001)	Peak position