Brooks & Dunn's music covers the full range of modern country music, and their chart-topping hits have included everything from the Ronan Keating-penned ballad "The Long Goodbye," through the Rivers Rutherford-written "Ain't Nothing About You," to the gospel music-influenced "Believe." They are also associated with being pioneers of the line dance craze of the mid-1990s. One of their hits, "Boot Scootin' Boogie" - the video for which was made in Tulsa, Oklahoma - is most emblematic of this style.
Both band members write, sing, and play guitar. One or both artists writes or co-writes a large majority of their material, and self-penned successes include the 2004 smash "Red Dirt Road" which the duo wrote together. Both artists have served as song-writers for other artists too. Ronnie Dunn co-wrote country superstar Toby Keith's song "Don't Leave I Think I Love You" which appeared on his 2003 album Shock'n Y'all. Dunn's vocal performances have tended to be released as radio singles: recent hits "You Can't Take the Honkytonk Out of The Girl," "Red Dirt Road," "It's Getting Better All The Time," "That's What It's All About," "Play Something Country," and "Believe" all feature Ronnie Dunn singing lead vocals.
Brooks & Dunn are renowned for their high-energy stage shows. Recent tours have featured Australian country singer Keith Urban, fellow duo Montgomery Gentry, and successful country newcomer Gretchen Wilson. Their latest Deuces Wild tour of 2005 featured fellow country duo Big and Rich. In 2006, the duo opened for the Rolling Stones at their Omaha, Nebraska show.
The duo's songs have been used by President George W Bush as his official campaign songs in both his election and re-election campaigns. In 2000, the then Texas Governor chose the blue-collar line-dance-friending hit of the mid-1990s, "Hard Workin' Man," and in 2004, the President selected the (pre-9/11) hit patriotic "Only in America." Brooks & Dunn both supported the President's re-election campaign, performing at a Republican rally featuring Laura Bush on the eve of the election.
Their latest album is Hillbilly Deluxe which features the number 1 single "Play Something Country."
On August 10, 2009, the duo issued a statement on their website announcing that they were splitting up after 20 years of making music together. The split was amicable, with a final album in September 2009 and a final tour in 2010.
On December 3, 2014, it was announced that Brooks & Dunn will reunite and perform a series of concerts in Las Vegas, Nevada with Reba McEntire throughout mid-late 2015. In 2016, they were selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track featuring the artists performing a medley of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again", and "I Will Always Love You", which was released in celebration of 50 years of the CMA Awards.
Hillbilly Deluxe
Brooks & Dunn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Old boy feeling like a dog on a collar
Keepin' that chain hold tight
Waiting on Saturday night
Put on the smell good
Put on Skynyrd
Head into town like a Nascar winner
Cruisin' back and forth to the Tasty Freeze
Hillbilly deluxe, slick pick up trucks
Big timing in a small town
Stirrin' it up right about sundown
Black denim and chrome to the bone
With a little homegrown
Country girl cuddled up
Hillbilly deluxe
Couple kids, sweet thing driving a fast back
Shoot 'em a coon smile
Hoping that they smile back
Hey, baby, what's your name?
Burn a little rubber when the red light change
Here come the blue light
Here come Barney
Hide all the beer y'all
Let's move the party
Gotta go but that's alright
Do it all again next Friday night
Hillbilly deluxe, slick pick up trucks
Big timing in a small town
Stirrin' it up right about sundown
Black denim and chrome to the bone
With a little homegrown
Country girl cuddled up
Hillbilly deluxe
Hillbilly deluxe, slick pick up trucks
Big timing in a small town
Stirrin' it up right about sundown
Black denim and chrome to the bone
With a little homegrown
Country girl cuddled up
Hillbilly deluxe
Hillbilly deluxe
Hillbilly deluxe
Hillbilly deluxe.
The lyrics of Brooks & Dunn's song "Hillbilly Deluxe" depict a weekend night in a small town in the countryside where the locals show off their pride and joy — their pick-up trucks. The song creates an atmosphere of celebration and revelry, describing the scene where everyone is getting ready for a night out, getting cleaned up, and driving their shiny cars into town. The song effectively captures the essence of rural America with its references to NASCAR races, Skynyrd, coon hunting, and the Tasty Freeze.
The lyrics also touch upon the excitement of romantic possibilities as the singer meets a girl who catches their eye. The chorus repeats the titular phrase, "Hillbilly Deluxe," emphasizing the pride the locals take in their simple yet comfortable way of life. The song highlights their love for their country roots, their pick-up trucks, parties, and romance.
Overall, the song perfectly encapsulates the charm of rural living — a simple and carefree life that many people in the country still cherish today.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, up in the backwoods, down in the holler
In the rural areas and valleys
Old boy feeling like a dog on a collar
Feeling restricted and constrained
Keepin' that chain hold tight
Holding on tightly to what he has
Waiting on Saturday night
Anticipating the weekend for fun and excitement
Put on the smell good
Apply cologne to smell good
Put on Skynyrd
Listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd music
Head into town like a Nascar winner
Driving fast and confidently into town
Cruisin' back and forth to the Tasty Freeze
Driving back and forth to the Tasty Freeze fast-food restaurant
Everywhere you look all you see is
Seeing everything around you
Hillbilly deluxe, slick pick up trucks
Expensive and fancy custom trucks
Big timing in a small town
Acting like a big shot in a small town
Stirrin' it up right about sundown
Starting trouble and excitement around sundown
Black denim and chrome to the bone
Wearing black denim and chrome accessories
With a little homegrown
With some homemade weed
Country girl cuddled up
A female partner from the country cuddled up
Hillbilly deluxe
Living a life of luxury in a rural setting
Couple kids, sweet thing driving a fast back
Some young people, a sweet girl driving a fast car
Shoot 'em a coon smile
Giving a charming smile
Hoping that they smile back
Expecting a smile in response
Hey, baby, what's your name?
Asking for someone's name
Burn a little rubber when the red light change
Accelerating quickly when the traffic light turns green
Here come the blue light
Police lights can be seen
Here come Barney
Police officer Barney Fife is coming
Hide all the beer y'all
Quickly hide the alcohol
Let's move the party
Move the party to another location
Gotta go but that's alright
Leaving but not upset about it
Do it all again next Friday night
Planning on repeating the same activities next week
Hillbilly deluxe
Describing the life of luxury in a rural setting
Hillbilly deluxe
Describing the life of luxury in a rural setting
Hillbilly deluxe.
Describing the life of luxury in a rural setting
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bradley Crisler, Craig Wiseman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carmen Gilliard
I'm in bed, nice and cozy, wearing my pajamas but I'm in the country state of mind. Always been!
I love their music. It's been an inspiration to a lot of great artists!
valerie lavigne
Sham WOW!!!
Dapoposhow
just cant get enough of this song . LONG LIVE COUNTRY MUSIC!!!!
David Stokes
Listening to this 11 years after this comment
jeff hodupp
Did you get enough? Or you still hanging in there?
Greg Dahlen
this is a perfect video. The quick shots on the backup singer/players are amazing. This should become a movie.
CheeryHex
love Brooks and Dunn!! excellent songwriters, great performers, stand-up guys. kept the integrity of old country. plus their longevity. they deserve a lot of respect.
CheeryHex
touche! lol
Logan O'Brien
+theAbeElement you just replied to yourself...
CheeryHex
no.. someone had commented that B&D were an example of new country. I partially conceded.