Tim McGraw (song)
"Tim McGraw" | ||||
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Single by Taylor Swift | ||||
from the album Taylor Swift | ||||
Released | June 19, 2006 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:54 | |||
Label | Big Machine | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Nathan Chapman | |||
Taylor Swift singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Tim McGraw" on YouTube |
"Tim McGraw" is the debut single by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with Liz Rose for her self-titled debut studio album (2006). Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio on June 19, 2006. Produced by Nathan Chapman, "Tim McGraw" is an acoustic guitar-led country ballad that incorporates the '50s progression and elements of alternative rock. In the lyrics, Swift's character pleads with her ex-boyfriend to remember her every time he hears her favorite song by the country musician Tim McGraw, the song's namesake.
Music critics acclaimed Swift's songwriting on "Tim McGraw" for creating engaging and nostalgia-inducing music and lyrics. Retrospective reviews regarded the single as a defining career moment and a blueprint for Swift's songwriting on subsequent albums;
The accompanying music video, directed by Trey Fanjoy, sees Swift's character and the ex-boyfriend both reminiscing about a past summer romance in rural Tennessee. Swift promoted "Tim McGraw" and her debut album with a six-month radio tour in 2006, and she performed the song at the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards. She included "Tim McGraw" in the set list of her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010) and performed it on her later tours: the Red Tour (2013), the Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), and the Eras Tour (2023).
Background
In 2004,
Soon after,
Composition
"Tim McGraw" is 3 minutes and 52 seconds long.
The production of "Tim McGraw" is understated and lightweight.
The lyrics of "Tim McGraw" narrate a past summer romance.
Critical reception
The song was acclaimed by critics.
In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked "Tim McGraw" at number 11 on its "The 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time" list, placing second among female artists; the magazine stated: "With her first song, Swift immediately showed her Nashville peers she could beat any of them at their own game, acing the classic genre trope of nostalgic country song about how country music is nostalgic".[25]
Upon hearing the song, McGraw, despite liking it and being a fan and personal friend of Swift; initially had some concerns about it in a 2021 Billboard interview: “Well, when I first heard ‘Tim McGraw’ by Taylor Swift, I mean, I thought it was a good song. I was a little apprehensive about it when I first heard it,” he admitted. “Then I thought, ‘Have I gotten to that age now [he was thirty-nine years old at the time the song was released in 2006] to where they’re singing songs about me? Does that mean I’ve jumped the shark a bit? Is everything still cool?'”[26]
Chart performance
On the week ending September 23, 2006, "Tim McGraw" debuted at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100.[27] After 17 weeks of ascending and descending the chart, on the week ending January 13, 2007, the song reached its peak at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for two consecutive weeks.[28] On the week ending February 3, 2007, the song spent its last week on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 43, after a total of 20 weeks on the chart.[29] As of November 2017, "Tim McGraw" has sold 1.6 million copies in the United States.[30] The single was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2020, for surpassing two million units based on sales and streaming.[31]
Prior to charting on the United States' main chart, "Tim McGraw" charted on Billboard Hot Country Songs. On the week ending July 1, 2006, "Tim McGraw" debuted at number 60 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs.[32] After spending 25 weeks upon Billboard Hot Country Songs, the song reached the top 10 with its new peak of number 10 on the week ending December 16, 2006.[33] In the proceeding six weeks, the song managed to remain in the top 10 until finding its peak at number six on the week ending January 27, 2007.[28] "Tim McGraw" spent a total of 35 weeks upon the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[28]
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Tim McGraw" was directed by Trey Fanjoy. It was filmed at the former home of Johnny & June Carter-Cash, which burned down the next year. The letter which the boyfriend receives is addressed to "Johnny" for this purpose.[34] 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."[35] 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.[36]
The video begins with Swift, dressed in 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 1970 Chevrolet CST-10. 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 in a field, lying beside one another on the back of Collins' CST-10, 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 lying 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.[35] 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".[37] At the 2007 CMT Music Awards, the video won the CMT Music Award for "Breakthrough Video of the Year".[38]
Live performances
Swift spent six months of 2006 promoting "Tim McGraw" and Taylor Swift on a radio tour.[6] She performed the song as she opened for Rascal Flatts on several dates, from October 19 to November 3, 2006, including on the Me and My Gang Tour (2006–07).[39] 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."[40] She also performed the song when she served as opening act on twenty dates for George Strait's 2007 United States tour,[41] and selected dates for Brad Paisley's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour in 2007.[42][43] 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".[44] Swift performed the song while she was again opening for Rascal Flatts for their Still Feels Good Tour in 2008.[45]
Swift's first broadcast performance of "Tim McGraw" was on October 24, 2006, on
Swift performed "Tim McGraw" on all venues of her first headlining concert tour, the
Swift performed "Tim McGraw" during the first show in Toronto and the performance in Charlotte during
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (2006–2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada | 10 |
US Billboard Hot 100[59] | 40 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[60] | 6 |
US Pop 100 (Billboard)[61] | 69 |
Year-end chart
Chart (2006) | Position |
---|---|
US Country (Radio & Records)[62] | 71 |
Chart (2007) | Position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[63] | 59 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[64] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[31] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | June 19, 2006 | Country radio | Big Machine | [65] |
August 16, 2019 | 7-inch vinyl
|
[66][67][68] |
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{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Taylor Swift's Early Singles Released on Limited-Edition Vinyl by Big Machine". The Hollywood Reporter. July 10, 2019. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
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Source
- Parvis, Sarah (September 15, 2009). Taylor Swift. .
- Perone, James E. (2017). The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection. ISBN 9781440852954.