"Backwoods" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Justin Moore. It was released in October 2009 as the third single from his self-titled debut album. The song became Moore's second Top 10 hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with a peak at number 6 in May 2010.
| "Backwoods" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Justin Moore | ||||
| from the album Justin Moore | ||||
| Released | October 19, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2009 | |||
| Genre | Country[1] | |||
| Length | 2:35 | |||
| Label | Valory Music Group | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Jeremy Stover | |||
| Justin Moore singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| Backwoods at CMT.com | ||||
Content
edit"Backwoods" is an up-tempo song in which the narrator lists off various contents of his "backwoods" and states he is proud of his "real good life / In the backwoods."
"Backwoods" was co-written by Moore himself, along with the producer of the song and album, Jeremy Stover, and Jamie Paulin.[2] Moore told The Boot that the song was written in about 20 minutes. Moore says, "One of us just started rambling, and the other one started playing the groove of it. Some songs you write and know it's a really good song, then some of them you get into the studio and it comes to life then. This was one of those songs. I liked it when I wrote it, but when we got done doing it in the studio, we both went, 'Man, this has got to go on the album!'"[3]
Lawsuit
editIn August 2012, Moore was sued by a songwriter named Bobby Carmichael, who claimed that a song of his was very similar in structure.[4]
Critical reception
editThe song has received negative reviews from music critics. Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song a D grade, saying that "empty barrels make the most noise."[5] Juli Thanki of Engine 145 gave the song a “thumbs-down” rating, saying that it "sound[ed] like something stolen from Jason Aldean’s recycle bin."[6]
Music video
editDirected by Kristin Barlowe, the music video was released on CMT.com on November 5, 2009. It shows Moore and his band performing the song in a forest at night, with taillights blazing and much smoke, while extras compete in a scavenger hunt, camp out, and just live the backwoods life.[7]
Chart performance
editIn May 2010, the song reached its peak of No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country (Billboard)[8] | 30 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 69 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10] | 6 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 41 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[12] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Backwoods – Justin Moore". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ a b "Backwoods Lyrics- Justin Moore". Lyricsfreak.com. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ^ Conaway, Alanna (January 4, 2010). "Justin Moore, 'Backwoods' – Story Behind the Lyrics". The Boot. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
- ^ Sciarretto, Amy (August 14, 2012). "Justin Moore Sued by Nashville Songwriter Over 'Backwoods'". Taste of Country. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ John, Kevin (October 2, 2009). "Country Universe – A Country Music Blog » Justin Moore, "Backwoods"". Countryuniverse.net. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
- ^ "Justin Moore – "Backwoods" – Engine 145". Engine145.com. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
- ^ "Videos : Justin Moore : Backwoods". CMT. January 23, 2010. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
- ^ "Justin Moore Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
- ^ "Justin Moore Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
- ^ "Justin Moore Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
- ^ "Best of 2010: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2010. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
- ^ "American single certifications – Justin Moore – Backwoods". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 21, 2015.