Brooks was a phenomenal musical force in the 1990s. He had his chart breakthrough in 1989, having come apparently from nowhere, and was an immediate commercial success. Lacking the tall and lanky physical appearance typical of some male country stars, he successfully integrated pop and rock elements into his recordings and live performances. He soon began to dominate the country singles and country albums charts and quickly crossed over into the mainstream pop arena, selling records like no one else in country music ever had and exposing country music to a larger audience than previously thought possible.
Brooks enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, with over 70 hit singles and 15 charted albums to his credit and over 115 million albums sold in the US alone, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the 1990s. Possibly dissatisfied and looking to expand his career boundaries, he then attempted an artistically ambitious (but uncompleted) multimedia project involving a fictitious alter ego.
Troubled by the conflicts between career and family, the year after the decade ended Garth Brooks announced his retirement from recording and performing, thereby disappearing from the music world as suddenly as he had come.
Recently he has announced his return to live performances by agreeing to a 5 year 15 show a year contract in Vegas. His plan is to finish this contract, write some new stuff, and wait for his youngest daughter to go off to school, and then he plans to return to touring with his wife.
White Flag
Garth Brooks Lyrics
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I say day, you call it a night
What's wrong with this scene?
What does this mean?
You set me up, shoot me down
I'm wounded on this battleground
It's time, for sure, for ending this war
Sendin' up, sendin' up, sendin' up a white flag
Love won't have a chance if all we do is just fight about it
Sendin' up, sendin' up, sendin' up a white flag
Damn these circumstance
Love is headed for a fall
So before we lose it all, oh baby
I'm sendin' up a white flag
Place no blame; what's the use?
Lay these weapons down and call a truce
Can't we (can't we) work it out (work it out)
'Cause I love you, baby, ain't no doubt
Isn't that what love's about?
Sendin' up, sendin' up, sendin' up a white flag
Love won't have a chance if all we do is fight about it
Sendin' up, sendin' up, sendin' up a white flag
Damn these circumstance
Love is headed for a fall
So before we lose it all, oh baby
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm sendin' up a white flag
The lyrics of "White Flag" by Garth Brooks tell a story of a relationship that is in danger of falling apart due to constant fighting and arguments. The song talks about how the couple cannot seem to agree on anything and constantly take opposing sides, as if they are fighting a war. The singer acknowledges the need to end this "battle" and "send up a white flag" to make peace.
The line "Love won't have a chance if all we do is fight about it" highlights the importance of communication in a relationship. The singer realizes that if they continue to argue instead of working out their differences, their love will ultimately fail. The refrain of "sending up a white flag" is a symbol of surrendering one's ego and pride in a relationship, suggesting that ending the conflict is more important than being right.
The message of the song is clear: stop the fighting and make peace. The lyrics suggest that the couple needs to lay down their figurative weapons, stop fighting, and work together to make their relationship work. Rather than blaming one another, they need to communicate and resolve their conflicts.
Line by Line Meaning
I say black, you say white
We have opposing viewpoints
I say day, you call it a night
We have vastly different perspectives
What's wrong with this scene?
I question the current state of our relationship
What does this mean?
I seek clarity and understanding
You set me up, shoot me down
You hurt me constantly
I'm wounded on this battleground
Our relationship feels like a warzone
It's time, for sure, for ending this war
It's time to stop fighting and end our disagreements
'Cause my heart can't take anymore
I can't handle the pain and hurt from this constant battle
Sendin' up, sendin' up, sendin' up a white flag
I'm surrendering and giving up
Love won't have a chance if all we do is just fight about it
If we keep arguing, our love won't survive
Damn these circumstance
I blame our situation for causing so much strife
Love is headed for a fall
Our relationship is in danger of collapsing
So before we lose it all, oh baby
I don't want to lose our love completely
Place no blame; what's the use?
There's no point in blaming each other for our issues
Lay these weapons down and call a truce
Let's put aside our differences and stop fighting
Can't we (can't we) work it out (work it out)
I hope we can find a way to fix our relationship
'Cause I love you, baby, ain't no doubt
I still love you, despite our arguments
Isn't that what love's about?
We should work together to solve our problems, that's what love means
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm giving up and surrendering
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm giving up and surrendering
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm giving up and surrendering
I'm sendin' up a white flag
I'm giving up and surrendering
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GREGORY WAYNE ATKINSON, ELIOT ANDREW FISH, NICHOLAS KENNEDY, CAROLYN MARY POLLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind