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.
That's What It's All About
Brooks & Dunn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you spend all day in your thankless job
You jump in your ford and you're
Door to door with a homebound mob
Then you pull in the drive and you hit the chair
And the one you love is waitin' there.
Hey, that's what it's all about
No I couldn't live without
It's a moment frozen there in time
When the reasons all begin to rhyme
Love's a little bigger
And you finally start figuring out
That's what it's all about.
When they won't go to bed or do
What you said or eat their food
They cry and they fuss but you can't cuss
'Cause they'll say it too
You're tired and you're numb,
You're stressed and you're mad
She smiles and says "I love you, dad."
Hey, that's what it's all about
Hey, this is a life I couldn't live without,
No I couldn't live without
It's a moment frozen there in time
When the reasons all begin to rhyme
Love's a little bigger
And you finally start figuring out
That's what it's all about.
Hey, that's what it's all about
Hey, this is a life I couldn't live without,
No I couldn't live without
It's a moment frozen there in time
When the reasons all begin to rhyme
Love's a little bigger
And you finally start figuring out
That's what it's all about.
Hey, that's what it's all about. (Hey!)
Hey, that's what it's all about.
Hey, that's what it's all about.
Hey, that's what it's all about.
Whoa, a life I couldn't live without
Hey, that's what it's all about. (Hey!)
Hey, that's what it's all about...
The lyrics of Brooks & Dunn's That's What It's All About highlight the simple pleasures in life that make it all worth it. The song is a celebration of love, family, and the small moments in life that make us happy.
The first verse captures the daily grind of a typical job: the stress, the long hours, and the exhaustion that comes with it. But it also celebrates the joy of coming home to a loved one who is waiting for you. The chorus emphasizes that life is all about those small moments that we cherish and remember forever - the moments that give us a reason to smile and keep going.
In the second verse, the song talks about the struggles of parenthood. Children can be difficult, and raising them can be exhausting. But even in those difficult moments, the love that a parent has for their child makes it all worth it. The song ends by repeating the chorus, emphasizing that life is really all about those little things like love, joy, and family.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you work and you slave
You toil and labor every day
And you spend all day in your thankless job
And you work a job that doesn't appreciate you
You jump in your ford and you're
Then you get in your car and
Door to door with a homebound mob
Commute with a swarm of people dreading the same routine
Then you pull in the drive and you hit the chair
Finally arriving home and sitting down
And the one you love is waitin' there.
And your significant other greets you
When they won't go to bed or do
When children refuse to follow your requests
What you said or eat their food
And they don't eat the meal you made for them
They cry and they fuss but you can't cuss
They cry and complain, but you must remain composed
'Cause they'll say it too
Otherwise, they'll learn and repeat bad behavior
You're tired and you're numb,
You're exhausted and desensitized
You're stressed and you're mad
You're under pressure and upset
She smiles and says "I love you, dad."
But then your child's words of affection make it all worth it
Hey, that's what it's all about
This is what makes life worth living
Hey, this is a life I couldn't live without,
A life that one couldn't imagine ditching
No I couldn't live without
No, I couldn't imagine living without it
It's a moment frozen there in time
These moments are ones to cherish and remember
When the reasons all begin to rhyme
When everything seems to click into place
Love's a little bigger
Love seems even more significant
And you finally start figuring out
And you begin to understand
That's what it's all about.
That's the essence of life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVE MCEWAN, CRAIG WISEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shelby Esters
Glad to say I grew up when Brooks and Dunn were at the top of the charts!
John Spinelli
Brooks and Dunn has to be the best country band in my opinion. Their songs are so wholesome
Brad Williams
Woke up at 4:30 in the morning with this song in my head. Looks to be a good day ahead.😎
I can’t get enough of this song.
Michael Poyntz
Brooks and Dunn together made so much sense....made so much truly great music together and on that created so many much greater moments for thousands of fans. For me, their song She Used to Be Mine gave my wife and I one of the most romantic moments of my life when we danced cheek to cheek to that song in a store in Santa Fe. I miss her and I miss them more than they will ever know! But, I hold the memories like a stranded man holds belief to his chest!
Brian Kirchmeier
Man, one of the best duo's of all time!!! I am really gonna miss them!!
JustJeanne444
There is only a handful of artists I have cared enough to see every year tour, or have to have every record they ever dropped on a Tuesday. But these are 2 of them. Country music gave me them. Such great guys!!
J Huff
I've seen these guys so many times... So many great memories. I even got to see them when they had their first concert in Australia. Amazing.
Beatriz Regalado
Two people don't know what it's all about!!!!!!!!! This is a great song... and a tribute to their families and, why not? To their fans! Thank you Brooks and Dunn, for making the country music my favorite music genre! I will always love you guys!
Andrew Guerra
I’m not a country fan but this video is touching!
Aslan Monn
DANG Spot on! Love the video, the song, and the message. Let's not forget this, y'all!