Where I Come From
Encyclopedia
"Where I Come From" is the title of a country music
song written and recorded by American singer Alan Jackson
. Released in July 2001, it was the third single from his 2000 album When Somebody Loves You
. In November 2001, the song became Jackson's eighteenth Number One hit on the Billboard
country charts.
, traveling across the United States and finding himself in various situations that make him think about how life in other places is different from his Southern lifestyle. The first verse finds him pulled over by a police officer, who says that he "don't know about that accent". In the second verse, the narrator stops at a diner to have a barbecue dinner, which he claims "ain't like Mama fixed it". He is stopped in the third verse after losing his universal joint
, when he is met by a lady who asks if "he has plans for dinner", and finally, in the last verse, he is asked on the CB radio if he is from Tulsa
. After each verse comes a chorus where the narrator explains how the road life is different.
-styled guitar".
country charts for the week of October 13. It held the position on October 20, then fell to number 2 on October 27, with's Brooks & Dunn
's "Only in America
" taking over at Number One. The next week, "Where I Come From" returned to number 1 for a third and final week at the top.
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...
song written and recorded by American singer 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...
. Released in July 2001, it was the third single from his 2000 album When Somebody Loves You
When Somebody Loves You
When Somebody Loves You is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on November 7, 2000, and produced the singles "Where I Come From", "www.memory", "When Somebody Loves You", and "It's Alright to Be a Redneck."...
. In November 2001, the song became Jackson's eighteenth Number One hit 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...
country charts.
Content
The song is a moderate up-tempo which finds the narrator, a truck driverTruck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
, traveling across the United States and finding himself in various situations that make him think about how life in other places is different from his Southern lifestyle. The first verse finds him pulled over by a police officer, who says that he "don't know about that accent". In the second verse, the narrator stops at a diner to have a barbecue dinner, which he claims "ain't like Mama fixed it". He is stopped in the third verse after losing his universal joint
Universal joint
A universal joint, universal coupling, U joint, Cardan joint, Hardy-Spicer joint, or Hooke's joint is a joint or coupling in a rigid rod that allows the rod to 'bend' in any direction, and is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion...
, when he is met by a lady who asks if "he has plans for dinner", and finally, in the last verse, he is asked on the CB radio if he is from Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. After each verse comes a chorus where the narrator explains how the road life is different.
Reception
Allmusic critic Thom Jurek described the song favorably in his review of the album, calling it a "redneck anthem" that "rocks a little harder with a ZZ TopZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
-styled guitar".
Chart performance
"Where I Come From" re-entered the chart as a single at number 58 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of July 14, 2001. The song reached its peak position of number 1 on the BillboardBillboard (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...
country charts for the week of October 13. It held the position on October 20, then fell to number 2 on October 27, with's 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...
's "Only in America
Only in America (song)
"Only in America" is the title of a song recorded by the American country music duo Brooks & Dunn on their 2001 album Steers & Stripes. Kix Brooks, one-half of the duo, co-wrote the song with Don Cook and Ronnie Rogers, although it features Ronnie Dunn on lead vocals...
" taking over at Number One. The next week, "Where I Come From" returned to number 1 for a third and final week at the top.
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 37 |