Tim McGraw came by The Bobby Bones Show to talk about his latest single “I Called Mama” nearing the top of the chart, his first single set to go number 1 in the last 4 years. While he was there, he talked about some of his biggest hits, and a piece of marriage advice.
Speaking on “Indian Outlaw,” McGraw shared that he heard the song when he first came to Nashville. On his first night in town he met songwriter Tommy Barnes, the writer of “Indian Outlaw.” McGraw met Barnes and other songwriters at a bar and then they eventually found their way up to McGraw’s hotel room where they sat around playing their guitars and songs together. That was the first time McGraw heard “Indian Outlaw,” and “When She Wakes Up (and Finds Me Gone),” both of which he would later cut in his career. He shared that he played “Indian Outlaw” on the road for about 3 years before he finally decided to cut it. As for his hit “Don’t Take The Girl,” Bobby Bones asked him to settle the show’s debate about how the song truly ends. However, McGraw said that he never wanted the song to be resolved at the end, because he thinks that the wonder of it all makes the song great. On his latest album McGraw recorded a song called “Sheryl Crow,” and shared that Crow has heard the song and she actually sent McGraw “the sweetest note” about how much she liked the song. As far as his favorite songs of his, “L.A.” off his latest album Here On Earth, and “Please Remember Me” off of his album A Place In The Sun are two really high on the list.
McGraw didn’t always have success though, his first album didn’t perform well. Because of that, his label had written him off. It wasn’t until McGraw went back into the studio to record a full second album without the label knowing. He wanted to ensure he tried everything to make his career succeed because he said he “put all his eggs in one basket,” referring to the fact that he quit law school to pursue music. Obviously things ended up working out for McGraw, he even went on to win Entertainer Of The Year in 2001. He told Bones that he’s sure at the time he thought The Chicks or George Straight would have won. However, he confessed it was such a blur of a moment that it’s hard for him to even grasp the memory. And he never watches televised things back, so he’s not sure what went down in his thank you speech.
As for some advice, McGraw offered up a few pieces. For young artists, McGraw shared that professionalism is always key. And for those planning to get married, he shared the key to a longterm, happy marriage like his to Faith Hill is the conscious decision of getting married. He said be sure that marriage is what you want to do and if so, commit to it.
