Paisley has sold over 11 million albums and has won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, and two American Music Awards. He has also earned country music's crowning achievement, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry.[2] Paisley also wrote songs for Pixar's Cars franchise ("Behind the Clouds", "Find Yourself", "Collision of Worlds" (along with Robbie Williams), "Nobody's Fool", etc.).
Paisley has stated that his love of country music stems from his maternal grandfather, who gave Paisley his first guitar at age 8 and taught him how to play. At age 12, Paisley wrote his first song, and by 13 he was the opening act for country singers.
Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School in Glen Dale and enrolled at Belmont University (from 1993 to 1995). While in college, he met Frank Rogers, a fellow student who went on to serve as his producer. Paisley also met Kelley Lovelace, who became his songwriting partner.
After graduating from Belmont, Paisley signed a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing. His debut as a singer was with the label Arista Nashville, with the song, "Who Needs Pictures" (released February 22, 1999). In May of that same year, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later he had his first #1 hit with, ""He Didn't Have To Be."
In 2000, Paisley made an appearance on the nationally televised special, "Route 66: Main Street America" featured on TLC (TV channel) and later that same year he won the Country Music Association's (CMA) Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music's best new male vocalist trophy. He received his first Grammy Award nomination a year later. On February 17, 2001, after forty appearances on the show, he was inducted into the Opry Hall of Fame.
In 2002, he won the CMA Music Video of the Year for ""I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)." Several celebrities made notable guest appearances in the video, inluding Little Jimmy Dickens, Kimberly Williams (Paisley), Dan Patrick, and Jerry Springer.
Paisley released his third album, Mud on the Tires (2003), following Who Needs Pictures and Part II. The album features the hit song "Celebrity," the video of which parodies reality shows such as Fear Factor and American Idol and included such celebrities as Jason Alexander, Little Jimmy Dickens, Trista Rehn, and William Shatner. The album's title track, "Mud on the Tires," reached Billboard #1 in 2004.
In 2005, after touring with Reba McEntire and Terri Clark on the critically acclaimed "Two Hats and a Redhead Tour," he released Time Well Wasted, containing 15 tracks, including "Alcohol", a duet ("When I Get Where I'm Going") with Dolly Parton, another ("Out in the Parking Lot") with Alan Jackson, and a bonus track, "Cornography".
Brad Paisley was the 2008 CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the Year winner. Starting with the release of his 1999 album Who Needs Pictures, Paisley has recorded seven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashville label, with all of his albums certified gold or higher by the RIAA. In addition, he has charted 25 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 15 of which have reached #1 with a record 10 consecutive singles reaching the top spot on the charts. On November 10, 2010, Paisley won the coveted Entertainer of the Year award at the 44th annual CMA Awards.
In 2009 he released American Saturday Night which has his first single Then.
His song "High Life," on the 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk, refers to suing Carrie Underwood after hearing that one of Carrie's songs "reminded me of a poem my brother wrote back in second grade." This was a subtle joke about an actual lawsuit from a songwriter who accused Brad of using her material. (In real life, the lawsuit was won by Paisley in 2016.)
Paisley released "Without a Fight", a duet with Demi Lovato, on May 13, 2016. It was to have served as the lead single to his eleventh studio album, but due to poor chart performance it did not make the album's final cut. He was selected as one of thirty artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again" and "I Will Always Love You" which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards. The second single "Today" was released on October 6, 2016, which gave Paisley his first Country Digital Song Sales #1, opening at the top of the chart with 41,000 first-week downloads. The single landed in the #1 spot on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts, marking Paisley's 24th #1 song. On November 11, Paisley announced on Twitter that the title of the album would be Love and War, which was released in April 2017.
Love and War features several collaborations with iconic artists, including Timbaland, John Fogerty, Bill Anderson, and Mick Jagger, as well as a songwriting credit with Johnny Cash.
On October 4, 2018, Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley partnered with Belmont University and opened a free referral-based grocery store in Nashville to help the community in need. The Board of Trustees for The Store include Brad Paisley, President; Megan Zarling, Chair; Pete Fisher, Vice-Chair; Doug Paisley, Secretary and Elaine Bryan, Treasurer. Other board members include Sarah Cates, Jaynee Day, Hope Fisher, David Minnigan, John Zarling, Olivia Munn, John Schario, Scott Scovill, Michael Stagg, Becca Stevens and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Executive Director is Gina Hancock.
In November 2018, Paisley released "Bucked Off", the lead single from his upcoming studio album. On March 11, 2019, Paisley released "My Miracle".
In 2021, Paisley released his own Bourbon brand called "America Highway Reserve." As this whiskey was aged in barrels in the "Rolling Rickhouse" semi-trailer that followed Paisley's 2019 concert tour, Paisley collaborated with Bardstown Bourbon Company to create this Bourbon.
You Do the Math
Brad Paisley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't believe your still a single girl
I bet you're thinking you're better off on your own
But the best things in life,
Just can't be done alone
It takes two to make love baby
I'm sure of that,
You do the math
Being single has been kinda fun
But I can see you with me ridin' shotgun
I'll take you baby anywhere you wanna go
And together we can have more fun than we can have alone
It takes two to make love baby
I'm sure of that
I'm one, you're one
You do the math
I ain't never been a number's guy, but sure enough
I look into your eyes and all adds up
It takes two to make love baby
I'm sure of that
I'm one, you're one
You do the math
I'm one, you're one
You do the math
In Brad Paisley's song "You Do The Math", he addresses a woman who he can't believe is still single with seven billion people in this world. He believes that the best things in life can't be accomplished alone, and uses the example of love to make his point. He says that it takes two people to make love, and he is sure of that. He believes that he and the woman he is addressing would have more fun together than they would alone. He finishes by saying that when he looks into her eyes, it all adds up.
This song is a classic country love song that encourages two people to come together and enjoy life. Paisley's use of math metaphors is clever and adds an interesting twist to the traditional love song. The line, "I ain't never been a number's guy, but sure enough, I look into your eyes and all adds up" is particularly noteworthy because it shows that the idea of coming together with someone you love transcends logic and reason.
The song speaks to the idea that being single is fun, but ultimately there is something special about being with the right person. The message of the song is that it's worth doing the math and finding that perfect person to share your life with.
Line by Line Meaning
With seven billion people in this world
There are so many people in the world, but somehow you're still single.
I can't believe your still a single girl
It's surprising to me that someone as great as you is still single.
I bet you're thinking you're better off on your own
You might believe that being single is better for you, but I think you'll find that the best things in life are meant to be shared.
But the best things in life,
Love and companionship are some of the best things life has to offer.
Just can't be done alone
Those things cannot be experienced to the fullest extent if you're alone.
It takes two to make love baby
To truly experience love, two people are necessary.
I'm sure of that,
I am confident in that belief.
I'm one, you're one
I am one person, and you are one person.
You do the math
So, together, we can add up to a successful, loving relationship.
Being single has been kinda fun
Being single can be enjoyable, but it's not as fulfilling as sharing experiences with someone you love.
But I can see you with me ridin' shotgun
I can imagine us together, with you by my side, enjoying life's journey.
I'll take you baby anywhere you wanna go
I am willing to go anywhere with you and experience life's adventures together.
And together we can have more fun than we can have alone
We can have more fun together than we ever could alone.
I ain't never been a number's guy, but sure enough
I've never been one to think in terms of numbers, but when it comes to us being together, it makes perfect sense.
I look into your eyes and all adds up
When I look at you, everything falls into place, and I know we are meant to be together.
I'm one, you're one
I am one person, and you are one person.
You do the math
Together, we can create something special and meaningful, something that adds up to a loving and fulfilling relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AMPLIFIED ADMINISTRATION
Written by: BRAD PAISLEY, ROBERT ARTHUR, TIM OWENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind