Tim McGraw (song)
Encyclopedia
"Tim McGraw" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift
. The song was written by Swift and Liz Rose
, and produced
by Nathan Chapman
. It was released on June 19, 2006 by Big Machine Records
as Swift's debut single
and the lead single
from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift
. Swift wrote "Tim McGraw" during her freshman year of high school, knowing that she and her senior boyfriend, Brandon Borello, would break up at the end of the year when he left for college. The song was written about all the different things that would remind Borello of Swift and their time spent together, once he departed. "Tim McGraw" is musical interconnection of traditional and modern country music
. Lyrically, the track lists items in order to associate a past relationship, one of them being country artist Tim McGraw
's music.
The song was received with critical praise from music critics who complimented Swift's vocal delivery. Some critics described it as tender, while others admired its professionalism. "Tim McGraw" performed well commercially. The track spent numerous of weeks upon both the Billboard Hot 100
and Hot Country Songs
in the United States. It peaked at number forty on the former and number six on the latter. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) and has sold more than one million copies since its release. The accompanying music video
for "Tim McGraw", directed by Trey Fanjoy
, comprises flashbacks by Swift's love interest, among cut-scenes that feature Swift writhing on a lake-bed. "Tim McGraw" was promoted by Swift on a radio tour and performances in numerous venues. Swift performed it while serving as opening act for various country artists' concert tours. She also performed it as part of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour
(2009–10).
wrote "Tim McGraw" during Swift's freshman year at Hendersonville High School
. She conceived the idea in the midst of her mathematics class: "I was just sitting there, and I started humming this melody." She then related the melody to a predicament she was encountering at the moment. Swift knew that she and her senior
boyfriend, Brandon Borello, would break up at the end of the year when he left for college. In order to cope with the complicated emotions she was experiencing, Swift wrote the song. Rose said Swift showed up at her after school job, writing songs for Sony/ATV Music, "with the idea and the melody, knowing exactly what she wanted." She desired for the song to capture the sweetness and sadness of loving and losing someone. It was written about all the different things that would remind Borello of Swift and their time spent together, once he departed. "To her surprise, the first thing that came to mind was [her] love of Tim McGraw
's music." Several personal details were listed for the song. McGraw's mentioning was a reference to Swift's favorite song , "Can't Tell Me Nothin" from his 2004 album Live Like You Were Dying
, rather than McGraw as a person. The writing process, as with "Our Song
", took place in approximately twenty minutes, and was executed with the use of a piano
.
Soon after, Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records
, signed Swift to his newly formed label. Early into the album production, in a meeting where Borchetta and Swift discussed potential songs for Swift's debut album
, she performed "Tim McGraw" for Borchetta on fluke ukulele
. According to Swift, as soon as Borchetta finished listening to the song, he faced Swift and said, "That's your first single." She responded, "Well. That's how that works then." Prior to that event, Swift did not believe that the song was single material. However, she followed what label executives told her and accepted that they were correct. Swift placed "Tim McGraw" as the first track on Taylor Swift because of its importance to her. The song was eventually released as a CD single
on June 19, 2006. In retrospect, Swift has said that the song "is reminiscent, and it is thinking about a relationship you had and then lost. I think one of the most powerful human emotions is what should have been and wasn't... That was a really good song to start out on, because a lot of people can relate to wanting something you can't have." When Borello, the song's subject, discovered it, he thought it was "cool" and kept friendship with Swift despite their breakup.
song with a length of three minutes and fifty-two seconds. The song mingles traditional and modern country music
features, primarily through its usage of a twelve-string guitar. It is set in common time
and has a moderate tempo
of 72 beats per minute. Thus, it is categorized as a ballad with a mid-paced nature. It is written in the key
of C major
and Swift's vocals span one octave
, from F3 to G4. Swift's vocals are prominent in twang
. "Tim McGraw" follows the chord progression
C5–Am–F–Gsus–G.
The lyrics of "Tim McGraw" regard a summer romance that came to a sudden halt. The song fondly reminisces an ex-boyfriend, and directs the lyrics towards him, rather than country singer Tim McGraw
himself. It uses McGraw's music as a marker in their relationship timeline: "When you think Tim McGraw / I hope you think my favorite song." Sean Dooley of About.com
stated, "Music has the power to evoke memories, and it’s an old Tim McGraw song that triggers her happy memories." McGraw's reference is one of the several items used for association of the failed relationship, along with other items and places, such as a little black dress
.
magazine described the track as gem that hit hard. Sean Dooley of About.com complimented Swift's vocal delivery, describing it as "tender and emotive."
Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
believe "Tim McGraw" followed "time-tested narrative conventions and [...] massive pop hooks." Jeff Tamarkin of Allmusic said that the song demonstrated Swift was "a talent to be reckoned with", because of her vocal delivery that, according to him, equated that of a seasoned professional. He selected "Tim McGraw" as Taylor Swifts main highlight for its homage to Tim McGraw, commenting, "It's a device that's been used countless times in as many ways [...], yet it works as a hook here and manages to come off as an original idea." Rick Bell of Country Standard Time
stated, "It's an impressive debut that, while she pines about lost love and Tim McGraw, will likely have others singing the praises of Taylor Swift." Roger Holland of PopMatters
praised the song, commenting it was "good enough to recall some of the best country singles of recent years", such as Rachel Proctor
's "Me and Emily" and Julie Roberts
's "Break Down Here
." He complimented Swift's vocal abilities on the song, saying it was executed "quite perfectly", something she was unable to carry throughout the album Taylor Swift. However, Holland was repugnant of the song's title. In 2007, "Tim McGraw" was listed as a "Winning Song" by Broadcast Music Incorporated
(BMI).
. After seventeen weeks of ascending and descending the chart, on the week ending January 13, 2007, the song reached its peak at number forty on the Billboard Hot 100, where it maintained for two consecutive weeks. On the week ending February 3, 2007, the song spent its last week on the Billboard Hot 100 at number forty-three, after a total of twenty weeks on the chart. Prior to charting on the United States' main chart, "Tim McGraw" charted on Hot Country Songs
Chart. On the week ending July 1, 2006, "Tim McGraw" debuted at number sixty on the Hot Country Songs Chart. After spending twenty-five weeks upon Hot Country Songs, the song reached the top ten with its new peak of number ten on the week ending December 16, 2006. In the proceeding six weeks, the song managed remain on the top ten until finding its peak at number six on the week ending January 27, 2007. "Tim McGraw" spent a total of thirty-five weeks upon the Hot Country Songs Chart. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for the shipment of over 1,000,000 copies. As of February 2011, "Tim McGraw" has sold over 1.3 million copies in the United States.
for "Tim McGraw" was directed by Trey Fanjoy
. In regards to the video's concept, Swift stated, "It deals with the haunting power of music and how hearing a song years after it was first popular can have such an emotional appeal." Clayton Collins portrayed Swift's love interest in the music video. He was cast because of his physical resemblance to the real subject of the song, in that they were both tall with dark hair. The video begins with Swift, dressed by a white sundress, as she lies on the grass of a lake-bed and holds a transistor radio
. Suddenly, the setting is switched to Collins as he drives a white and orange 1972 Chevrolet C-10 Cheyenne
. He then turns his radio on and ceases driving, coming to a complete stop on a road. As Collins facial expressions become more serious, he flashbacks to memories with Swift. Swift and Collins are seen frolicking on field, lying beside another on the back of Collins' C-10 Cheyenne, staring at the stars together, holding hands as they walk, and slow dancing
. When the song is in its final chorus, Collins arrives at a wooden cabin in his pick-up truck. He runs up the staircase to discover an enveloped letter next to the door. He then sits on the staircase, opens the envelope, and reads the letter. The video transcends towards Swift playing an acoustic guitar
as she leans against the wooden cabin. Cut-scenes feature Swift writhing on the lake-bed and performing with a guitar next to the wooden cabin. The video concludes with Swift, once again, lying on the initial setting.
The video premiered on July 22, 2006 on Great American Country
. The video received a nomination for "Number One Streamed Video From a New Artist (Rookie of the Year Award)" at the web-hosted 2006 CMT Online Awards, but lost to Lindsey Haun
's video for "Broken". At the 2007 CMT Music Awards
, the video won the CMT Music Award for "Breakthrough Video of the Year".
on several dates, from October 19 to November 3, 2006, included on the Me and My Gang Tour (2006–07). Swift performed "Tim McGraw" as the concert's penultimate performance. She dressed in a black, knee-length dress and red cowboy boots with a design of a skull and cross bones across it, playing an acoustic guitar
. Swift requested for the audience to raise their cell phones in order to simulate a sky filled with stars, when the song reached the lyrics "He said the way my blue eyes shined / Put those Georgia stars to shame that night / I said that's a lie." She also performed the song when she served as opening act on twenty dates for George Strait
's 2007 United States tour, and selected dates for Brad Paisley
's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour in 2007. During mid-2007, Swift engaged as the opening act on several dates for Tim McGraw
's and Faith Hill
's joint tour, Soul2Soul II Tour (2006–07), where she again performed "Tim McGraw". Swift performed the song while she was again opening for Rascal Flatts for their Still Feels Good Tour in 2008.
Swift's first broadcast performance of "Tim McGraw" was on October 24, 2006 on Good Morning America
. She continued promotion for the track at Billboard
headquarters, the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards, The Engine Room, and a concert at the Apple Store in SoHo, New York, which was recorded and released as a live extended play (EP), iTunes Live from SoHo, exclusively sold through the iTunes Store
. Since completing promotion for Taylor Swift and its corresponding singles, Swift has performed "Tim McGraw" at the 2009 CMA Music Festival
, the 2009 V Festival
, and the Australian charity concert Sydney Sound Relief
.
Swift performed "Tim McGraw" on all venues of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour
, which extended from April 2009 to June 2010. The performances of "Tim McGraw" set on a small platform located at the opposite end, parallel to the stage in the arena. Swift, dressed in a pastel sundress, sat on a wooden stool while performing with wooden acoustic guitar strapped to her shoulder. Swift then completed the performance standing and walking back to the main stage. As she worked her way back to the stage, she again hugged fans, squeezed their outstretched hands and scrawled quick autographs. Nicole Frehsee of Rolling Stone
favored Swift's performance of "Tim McGraw" at the August 27, 2009 concert at Madison Square Garden
in New York City
. Frehsee described the entire concert as an "elaborate spectacle that doesn't slow down, even when the singer hauls her acoustic guitar into the audience to play a sweet, stripped down set of tunes including [..] 'Tim McGraw'." Brandy McDonnel of The Oklahoman
reported an massive sing-along
by the audience at the March 31, 2010 concert at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City
. Molly Trust of Billboard attended the performance at the tour's final concert on June 5, 2010 at Gillette Stadium
in Foxborough, Massachusetts
and conjectured that the performance's setting was formed in order to "afford a better view to fans farther back."
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
. The song was written by Swift and Liz Rose
Liz Rose
Liz Rose is an American country music songwriter best known for her work with Taylor Swift. She has co-written several of Swift's songs and singles, including "White Horse," "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "You Belong with Me," which won her and Swift a Grammy Award in 2009.-Biography:Liz Rose was...
, and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Nathan Chapman
Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...
. It was released on June 19, 2006 by Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records is an Independent American record label specializing in country music artists. It was launched in 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta. The label was part of a joint venture between Borchetta and country singer Toby Keith, although Keith dropped his...
as Swift's debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift (album)
Taylor Swift is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The album was released on October 24, 2006 by Big Machine Records. Swift wrote songs for the album during her freshman year of high school and has writing credits on all of the albums' songs including those...
. Swift wrote "Tim McGraw" during her freshman year of high school, knowing that she and her senior boyfriend, Brandon Borello, would break up at the end of the year when he left for college. The song was written about all the different things that would remind Borello of Swift and their time spent together, once he departed. "Tim McGraw" is musical interconnection of traditional and modern 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...
. Lyrically, the track lists items in order to associate a past relationship, one of them being country artist Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
's music.
The song was received with critical praise from music critics who complimented Swift's vocal delivery. Some critics described it as tender, while others admired its professionalism. "Tim McGraw" performed well commercially. The track spent numerous of weeks upon both the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and 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 the United States. It peaked at number forty on the former and number six on the latter. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) and has sold more than one million copies since its release. The accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Tim McGraw", directed by Trey Fanjoy
Trey Fanjoy
Trey Fanjoy is a country music and pop music video director. Fanjoy has directed over 150 major label music videos. Her videos have appeared on CMT, VH-1, GAC, The Nashville Network, CMT Canada, and MTV.-Music videos:...
, comprises flashbacks by Swift's love interest, among cut-scenes that feature Swift writhing on a lake-bed. "Tim McGraw" was promoted by Swift on a radio tour and performances in numerous venues. Swift performed it while serving as opening act for various country artists' concert tours. She also performed it as part of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
(2009–10).
Background
Swift and Liz RoseLiz Rose
Liz Rose is an American country music songwriter best known for her work with Taylor Swift. She has co-written several of Swift's songs and singles, including "White Horse," "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "You Belong with Me," which won her and Swift a Grammy Award in 2009.-Biography:Liz Rose was...
wrote "Tim McGraw" during Swift's freshman year at Hendersonville High School
Hendersonville High School
Hendersonville High School is one of two public high schools located in Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee. The principal is Joni Worsham, a former assistant principal at the school...
. She conceived the idea in the midst of her mathematics class: "I was just sitting there, and I started humming this melody." She then related the melody to a predicament she was encountering at the moment. Swift knew that she and her senior
Senior Year
Senior Year can refer to:* Senior ; the final year in high school or college* Senior Year , the 2010 film by Filipino director Jerrold Tarog* The Lockheed U-2...
boyfriend, Brandon Borello, would break up at the end of the year when he left for college. In order to cope with the complicated emotions she was experiencing, Swift wrote the song. Rose said Swift showed up at her after school job, writing songs for Sony/ATV Music, "with the idea and the melody, knowing exactly what she wanted." She desired for the song to capture the sweetness and sadness of loving and losing someone. It was written about all the different things that would remind Borello of Swift and their time spent together, once he departed. "To her surprise, the first thing that came to mind was [her] love of Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
's music." Several personal details were listed for the song. McGraw's mentioning was a reference to Swift's favorite song , "Can't Tell Me Nothin" from his 2004 album Live Like You Were Dying
Live Like You Were Dying
Live Like You Were Dying is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on August 24, 2004, by Curb Records and was recorded in a mountaintop studio in upstate New York. It entered the Billboard 200 chart at number one, with sales of 766,000 copies in its...
, rather than McGraw as a person. The writing process, as with "Our Song
Our Song (song)
"Our Song" is a country music song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on August 22, 2007 by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
", took place in approximately twenty minutes, and was executed with the use of a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
Soon after, Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records is an Independent American record label specializing in country music artists. It was launched in 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta. The label was part of a joint venture between Borchetta and country singer Toby Keith, although Keith dropped his...
, signed Swift to his newly formed label. Early into the album production, in a meeting where Borchetta and Swift discussed potential songs for Swift's debut album
Taylor Swift (album)
Taylor Swift is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The album was released on October 24, 2006 by Big Machine Records. Swift wrote songs for the album during her freshman year of high school and has writing credits on all of the albums' songs including those...
, she performed "Tim McGraw" for Borchetta on fluke ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
. According to Swift, as soon as Borchetta finished listening to the song, he faced Swift and said, "That's your first single." She responded, "Well. That's how that works then." Prior to that event, Swift did not believe that the song was single material. However, she followed what label executives told her and accepted that they were correct. Swift placed "Tim McGraw" as the first track on Taylor Swift because of its importance to her. The song was eventually released as a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
on June 19, 2006. In retrospect, Swift has said that the song "is reminiscent, and it is thinking about a relationship you had and then lost. I think one of the most powerful human emotions is what should have been and wasn't... That was a really good song to start out on, because a lot of people can relate to wanting something you can't have." When Borello, the song's subject, discovered it, he thought it was "cool" and kept friendship with Swift despite their breakup.
Composition
"Tim McGraw" is a country popCountry pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
song with a length of three minutes and fifty-two seconds. The song mingles traditional and modern 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...
features, primarily through its usage of a twelve-string guitar. It is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
and has a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 72 beats per minute. Thus, it is categorized as a ballad with a mid-paced nature. It is written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
and Swift's vocals span one octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
, from F3 to G4. Swift's vocals are prominent in twang
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
. "Tim McGraw" follows the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
C5–Am–F–Gsus–G.
The lyrics of "Tim McGraw" regard a summer romance that came to a sudden halt. The song fondly reminisces an ex-boyfriend, and directs the lyrics towards him, rather than country singer Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
himself. It uses McGraw's music as a marker in their relationship timeline: "When you think Tim McGraw / I hope you think my favorite song." Sean Dooley of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
stated, "Music has the power to evoke memories, and it’s an old Tim McGraw song that triggers her happy memories." McGraw's reference is one of the several items used for association of the failed relationship, along with other items and places, such as a little black dress
Little black dress
A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel, intended to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral...
.
Critical reception
The song was well received by critics. Rob Sheffield of BlenderBlender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine described the track as gem that hit hard. Sean Dooley of About.com complimented Swift's vocal delivery, describing it as "tender and emotive."
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 :...
believe "Tim McGraw" followed "time-tested narrative conventions and [...] massive pop hooks." Jeff Tamarkin of Allmusic said that the song demonstrated Swift was "a talent to be reckoned with", because of her vocal delivery that, according to him, equated that of a seasoned professional. He selected "Tim McGraw" as Taylor Swifts main highlight for its homage to Tim McGraw, commenting, "It's a device that's been used countless times in as many ways [...], yet it works as a hook here and manages to come off as an original idea." Rick Bell of Country Standard Time
Country Standard Time
Country Standard Time is a website dedicated to country music and related genres such as Bluegrass and Rockabilly. It provides news and musical reviews pertaining to the genre. It was established in 1992 by Jeffrey B. Remz as a print magazine, which was first published only in New England but went...
stated, "It's an impressive debut that, while she pines about lost love and Tim McGraw, will likely have others singing the praises of Taylor Swift." Roger Holland of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
praised the song, commenting it was "good enough to recall some of the best country singles of recent years", such as Rachel Proctor
Rachel Proctor
Rachel Christine Proctor is an American country music artist. Before signing to a record deal, she co-wrote Martina McBride's 2002 single "Where Would You Be". By 2003, Proctor had signed to BNA Records, releasing her debut single "Days Like This" that year...
's "Me and Emily" and Julie Roberts
Julie Roberts
Julie Roberts is an American country music singer. Signed to Mercury Nashville in 2004, Roberts made her debut that year with the single "Break Down Here", a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts and the first track from her self-titled debut album...
's "Break Down Here
Break Down Here
"Break Down Here" is the debut single from country music singer Julie Roberts. The single is the lead-off to her self-titled debut album that was released on May 24, 2004, via Mercury Nashville. The song debuted in February 2004 and peaked at number 18 on the country music charts...
." He complimented Swift's vocal abilities on the song, saying it was executed "quite perfectly", something she was unable to carry throughout the album Taylor Swift. However, Holland was repugnant of the song's title. In 2007, "Tim McGraw" was listed as a "Winning Song" by Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
(BMI).
Chart performance
On the week ending September 23, 2006, "Tim McGraw" debuted at number eighty-six on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. After seventeen weeks of ascending and descending the chart, on the week ending January 13, 2007, the song reached its peak at number forty on the Billboard Hot 100, where it maintained for two consecutive weeks. On the week ending February 3, 2007, the song spent its last week on the Billboard Hot 100 at number forty-three, after a total of twenty weeks on the chart. Prior to charting on the United States' main chart, "Tim McGraw" charted 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...
Chart. On the week ending July 1, 2006, "Tim McGraw" debuted at number sixty on the Hot Country Songs Chart. After spending twenty-five weeks upon Hot Country Songs, the song reached the top ten with its new peak of number ten on the week ending December 16, 2006. In the proceeding six weeks, the song managed remain on the top ten until finding its peak at number six on the week ending January 27, 2007. "Tim McGraw" spent a total of thirty-five weeks upon the Hot Country Songs Chart. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for the shipment of over 1,000,000 copies. As of February 2011, "Tim McGraw" has sold over 1.3 million copies in the United States.
Music video
The accompanying music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Tim McGraw" was directed by Trey Fanjoy
Trey Fanjoy
Trey Fanjoy is a country music and pop music video director. Fanjoy has directed over 150 major label music videos. Her videos have appeared on CMT, VH-1, GAC, The Nashville Network, CMT Canada, and MTV.-Music videos:...
. In regards to the video's concept, Swift stated, "It deals with the haunting power of music and how hearing a song years after it was first popular can have such an emotional appeal." Clayton Collins portrayed Swift's love interest in the music video. He was cast because of his physical resemblance to the real subject of the song, in that they were both tall with dark hair. The video begins with Swift, dressed by a white sundress, as she lies on the grass of a lake-bed and holds a transistor radio
Transistor radio
A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver using transistor-based circuitry. Following their development in 1954 they became the most popular electronic communication device in history, with billions manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s...
. Suddenly, the setting is switched to Collins as he drives a white and orange 1972 Chevrolet C-10 Cheyenne
Chevrolet C/K
The C/K is the name for Chevrolet and GMC's full-size pickup truck line from 1960 until 1999 in the United States, from 1965 to 1999 Canada, from 1964 through 2001 in Brazil, and from 1975 to 1982 in Chile. The first Chevrolet pickup truck appeared in 1924, though in-house designs did not appear...
. He then turns his radio on and ceases driving, coming to a complete stop on a road. As Collins facial expressions become more serious, he flashbacks to memories with Swift. Swift and Collins are seen frolicking on field, lying beside another on the back of Collins' C-10 Cheyenne, staring at the stars together, holding hands as they walk, and slow dancing
Slow dance
A slow dance is a type of partner dance in which a couple dance slowly, swaying to the music. This is usually done to very slow-beat songs."Slow dancing" can refer to any slow couple dance , but is often associated with a particular, simple style of dance performed by middle school and high school...
. When the song is in its final chorus, Collins arrives at a wooden cabin in his pick-up truck. He runs up the staircase to discover an enveloped letter next to the door. He then sits on the staircase, opens the envelope, and reads the letter. The video transcends towards Swift playing an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
as she leans against the wooden cabin. Cut-scenes feature Swift writhing on the lake-bed and performing with a guitar next to the wooden cabin. The video concludes with Swift, once again, lying on the initial setting.
The video premiered on July 22, 2006 on Great American Country
Great American Country
Great American Country , is a Nashville, Tennessee-based country music cable television network.-History:The station launched December 31, 1995 and Garth Brooks' video "The Thunder Rolls" was the first video to air on GAC....
. The video received a nomination for "Number One Streamed Video From a New Artist (Rookie of the Year Award)" at the web-hosted 2006 CMT Online Awards, but lost to Lindsey Haun
Lindsey Haun
Lindsey Haun is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her role in the 2000 Disney Channel original movie The Color of Friendship as Mahree Bok, and has starred in the film Broken Bridges, for which she also recorded a portion of the soundtrack.- Personal...
's video for "Broken". At the 2007 CMT Music Awards
CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...
, the video won the CMT Music Award for "Breakthrough Video of the Year".
Live performances
Swift spent six months of 2006 promoting "Tim McGraw" and Taylor Swift on a radio tour. She performed the song as she opened for Rascal FlattsRascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
on several dates, from October 19 to November 3, 2006, included on the Me and My Gang Tour (2006–07). Swift performed "Tim McGraw" as the concert's penultimate performance. She dressed in a black, knee-length dress and red cowboy boots with a design of a skull and cross bones across it, playing an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
. Swift requested for the audience to raise their cell phones in order to simulate a sky filled with stars, when the song reached the lyrics "He said the way my blue eyes shined / Put those Georgia stars to shame that night / I said that's a lie." She also performed the song when she served as opening act on twenty dates for George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
's 2007 United States tour, and selected dates for Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour in 2007. During mid-2007, Swift engaged as the opening act on several dates for Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
's and Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
's joint tour, Soul2Soul II Tour (2006–07), where she again performed "Tim McGraw". Swift performed the song while she was again opening for Rascal Flatts for their Still Feels Good Tour in 2008.
Swift's first broadcast performance of "Tim McGraw" was on October 24, 2006 on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. She continued promotion for the track at 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...
headquarters, the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards, The Engine Room, and a concert at the Apple Store in SoHo, New York, which was recorded and released as a live extended play (EP), iTunes Live from SoHo, exclusively sold through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. Since completing promotion for Taylor Swift and its corresponding singles, Swift has performed "Tim McGraw" at the 2009 CMA Music Festival
CMA Music Festival
The CMA Music Festival is a four-day music festival centered around country music hosted each June by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee...
, the 2009 V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
, and the Australian charity concert Sydney Sound Relief
Sound Relief
Sound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009...
.
Swift performed "Tim McGraw" on all venues of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
, which extended from April 2009 to June 2010. The performances of "Tim McGraw" set on a small platform located at the opposite end, parallel to the stage in the arena. Swift, dressed in a pastel sundress, sat on a wooden stool while performing with wooden acoustic guitar strapped to her shoulder. Swift then completed the performance standing and walking back to the main stage. As she worked her way back to the stage, she again hugged fans, squeezed their outstretched hands and scrawled quick autographs. Nicole Frehsee of 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...
favored Swift's performance of "Tim McGraw" at the August 27, 2009 concert at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Frehsee described the entire concert as an "elaborate spectacle that doesn't slow down, even when the singer hauls her acoustic guitar into the audience to play a sweet, stripped down set of tunes including [..] 'Tim McGraw'." Brandy McDonnel of The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma and is the only daily newspaper that covers the entire Oklahoma City area.-Ownership:...
reported an massive sing-along
Sing-along
Sing-along, community singing, group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing. One can use a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, hymns and drinking songs...
by the audience at the March 31, 2010 concert at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. Molly Trust of Billboard attended the performance at the tour's final concert on June 5, 2010 at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
in Foxborough, Massachusetts
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
and conjectured that the performance's setting was formed in order to "afford a better view to fans farther back."
Track listings
- US Maxi-CD Single
- "Tim McGraw" (Album Version) – 3:52
- "Tim McGraw" (Radio Edit) – 3:41
- "Tim McGraw" (Instrumental) – 3:53
Charts
| Chart (2006-2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
40 |
| US 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... |
6 |
Year-end charts
| Charts (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs | 59 |
External links
- "Tim McGraw" music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(posted by Swift's VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
)