"What Was I Thinkin'" is the title of a song co-written and 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...

 artist Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley is an American country music artist who has been signed to Capitol Records Nashville since 2003. That year, he released his self-titled debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip...

. Released in April 2003 as the first 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...

 from his self-titled debut album

Dierks Bentley (album)

Dierks Bentley is the first major-label album of country music singer Dierks Bentley. It was released August 19, 2003...

, the song became his first Number One hit on the U.S. 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 Singles & Tracks (now 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 in September 2003.

Content

Bentley co-wrote "What Was I Thinkin'" with his record producer

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...

, Brett Beavers, and Deric Ruttan

Deric Ruttan

Deric J. Ruttan is a Canadian country music artist from Bracebridge, Ontario. Signed to Lyric Street Records in 2003, he made his chart debut on the U.S. and Canadian country music charts that year with the release of his single "When You Come Around"...

. The song is an up-tempo in which he recalls escaping one night with a "beauty from south Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

." The narrator questions himself about the escape by asking, "what was I thinkin'?". He then explains that he was thinking about being with the girl.

Critical reception

Rick Cohoon of Allmusic gave the single a mixed review, comparing its sound and theme to David Lee Murphy

David Lee Murphy

David Lee Murphy is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 1994, Murphy made his first appearance on the Billboard country charts that year with "Just Once", a song from the soundtrack to the 1994 film 8 Seconds. A year later, Murphy's debut album Out with a Bang was...

's "Dust on the Bottle

Dust on the Bottle

"Dust on the Bottle" is the name of a song written and recorded by American country music artist David Lee Murphy. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in late 1995 and is Murphy's only number one hit...

" and calling the song "catchy enough, yet overdone." Deborah Evans Price of 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...

wrote that the song had an "infectious" melody and "lots of energy."

Because of the lyric "I was thinkin' 'bout a little white tank top / Sittin' right there in the middle by me," Bentley told Billboard magazine that he began seeing female fans wearing white tank-tops to concerts.

Chart positions

"What Was I Thinkin'" reached its peak position of number one on the Billboard country singles charts dated for the week ending September 27, 2003. The song succeeded Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson

Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...

 and 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"...

's duet "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" at this peak. On the next week's chart, Jackson and Buffett's song returned to number one. > >

Chart (2003)	Peak position