Bryan is a five-time "Entertainer of the Year", being awarded by both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association. In 2019, Bryan's 2013 album Crash My Party received the first Album of the Decade award from the Academy of Country Music.
Luke Bryan was born in Leesburg, Georgia, to LeClaire and Tommy Bryan, who owned a peanut farm. Shortly before Luke was going to move to Nashville at age 19, his elder brother Chris was unexpectedly killed in a car accident. His mother, LeClaire, had made a statement: "We knew Luke at some point would come to Nashville," his mother said. "But ... you can't leave your family, and ... I couldn't bear the thought of him being away."
Instead, Luke went to college at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, where he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity, briefly dated his future wife Caroline, and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Luke reconnected with Caroline several years later when he was performing at a bar in Statesboro when she was in town, later resuming their relationship and eventually marrying.
Two years after graduating from college, Bryan finally made it to Nashville, when his father urged him to pack his truck to pursue a career in music. He initially gained success as a songwriter, but soon after signed as a performer; his first major success was "All My Friends Say".
2006–2009: I'll Stay Me
Soon after his arrival in Nashville, Bryan joined a publishing house in the city. Among his first cuts was the title track of Travis Tritt's 2004 album My Honky Tonk History.
He was later signed by Capitol Nashville to a recording contract. In the meantime, Bryan co-wrote Billy Currington's single "Good Directions", which went to number one on the Hot Country Songs chart in mid-2007. Bryan co-wrote his debut single, "All My Friends Say", with producer Jeff Stevens. This song reached a peak of #5 on the Hot Country Songs chart. In August 2007, Capitol Nashville released Bryan's debut album, I'll Stay Me. Bryan wrote or co-wrote all but one of its 11 songs. The album's second single, "We Rode in Trucks", peaked at #33 while "Country Man" reached #10.
2009–2011: Doin' My Thing
On March 10, 2009, he released an EP titled Spring Break with All My Friends that featured two new songs, "Sorority Girls" and "Take My Drunk Ass Home," plus an acoustic version of "All My Friends Say". After this EP, he released his fourth single, "Do I" in May 2009. Bryan wrote the song with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady A, whose lead singer Hillary Scott also sings backing vocals on it. The song reached #2 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
"Do I" was included on Bryan's second album, Doin' My Thing, which was released in October 2009. Also included on the album was a cover of OneRepublic's "Apologize". Bryan wrote the album's next two singles, "Rain Is a Good Thing" and "Someone Else Calling You Baby", with Dallas Davidson and Jeff Stevens, respectively. Both of these songs went to #1 on the country music charts. AllMusic gave this album a positive review as well, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine considering Bryan more "relaxed" in comparison to his debut. On February 26, 2010, Bryan released a second EP, titled Spring Break 2...Hangover Edition, which featured three new songs: "Wild Weekend", "Cold Beer Drinker", and "I'm Hungover". While Bryan is mainly known as a country music singer, he has explored other genres like alternative rock with his cover of "Apologize".
Bryan appeared on the April 18, 2010, episode of Celebrity Apprentice alongside fellow country star Emily West. The task for each team was to make over an up-and-coming country star, with Bryan being selected by Team Rocksolid, led by Bill Goldberg, and West being selected by team Tenacity, led by Cyndi Lauper. Bryan's makeover failed to impress the judges, leading to Rocksolid losing the task. Bryan's single "Rain Is a Good Thing" and West's single "Blue Sky" were both sold on iTunes, with a month's worth of sales being donated to Lauper's charity, the Stonewall Community Foundation, resulting in $25,000 being raised.
2011–2013: Tailgates & Tanlines
Bryan released his third EP, Spring Break 3...It's a Shore Thing, on February 25, 2011, featuring four new songs - "In Love With the Girl," "If You Ain't Here to Party," "Shore Thing," and "Love In a College Town". This release was followed by Bryan's seventh single, "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)", which was released on March 14, 2011. Also co-written by Bryan and Davidson, it served as the lead-off single to his third studio album, Tailgates & Tanlines, which was released August 9, 2011. The album peaked at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart and #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Country Girl" peaked at #4 on the country music charts and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album's next three singles - "I Don't Want This Night to End", "Drunk on You", and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" - all reached #1 on the country music charts. Bryan, along with Eric Church, sang guest vocals on Jason Aldean's "The Only Way I Know," the second single from his 2012 album, Night Train.
On March 6, 2012, Bryan released his fourth Spring Break EP entitled Spring Break 4...Suntan City. Along with the title track, which Bryan co-wrote with Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip, the EP includes "Spring Break-Up," "Little Bit Later On," and "Shake the Sand". On January 30, 2013, Bryan announced his first compilation album, Spring Break...Here to Party, which includes 14 songs - 12 from his previous Spring Break EPs and two new tracks. It was released on March 5. The album debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first album of his career to top the all-genre album chart. One of the new Spring Break songs, "Buzzkill", reached the top 20 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
2013–2015: Crash My Party
Luke Bryan's fourth studio album, Crash My Party, was released on August 12, 2013. The album's first single, "Crash My Party", was premiered in a performance at the 2013 ACM Awards and released on April 7, 2013. It reached #1 on the Country Airplay chart in July 2013. The album's second single, "That's My Kind of Night", was released to country radio on August 5, 2013. It reached #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart in August 2013 and peaked at #2 on the Country Airplay chart in October 2013. The album's third single, "Drink a Beer", was released to country radio on October 24, 2013. It reached #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart in January 2014 and #1 on the Country Airplay chart in February 2014. During the kickoff show for his 2014 That's My Kind of Night Tour in Columbus, Ohio, Bryan announced to the crowd that "Play It Again" would become the album's fourth single. This song reached #1 on both the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts in May 2014. At the same time, Bryan sang guest vocals on Florida Georgia Line's 2014 single "This Is How We Roll". On July 14, 2014, the song "Roller Coaster" was released as the album's fifth single. It reached #1 on the Country Airplay chart in October 2014. The album's sixth single, "I See You", was released to country radio on November 3, 2014. It reached #1 on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts in February 2015.
On March 11, 2014, Bryan began his sixth year of spring performances at Spinnaker Beach Club in Panama City Beach, Florida. On the same day, he also released his sixth Spring Break EP, Spring Break 6...Like We Ain't Ever.
Bryan is the only country music artist to release an album of six #1 singles on both the Billboard's Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.
2015–2018: Kill the Lights and What Makes You Country
On November 11, 2014, it was confirmed that Bryan had begun writing and recording songs for his upcoming fifth studio album. His last Spring Break album, Spring Break...Checkin' Out, was released on March 10, 2015. It includes the six songs from the previous year's EP and five original new songs.
On May 19, 2015, Bryan released his first single from his fifth studio album, Kill the Lights, "Kick the Dust Up", which peaked at #1 on the Country Airplay chart. He co-wrote over half of the songs on this album. This album provides not only his country flare, but also has tracks that include a disco type beat along with the songs of romance. The album's second single, "Strip It Down", was released to country radio on August 4, 2015. The album was released on August 7. Kill the Lights sold 345,000 total copies its first week and beat out Dr. Dre's Compton to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Strip It Down" went #1 in October 2015, making fourteen cumulative #1's. The album's third single, "Home Alone Tonight", released to country radio on November 23, 2015. The song also became his 15th song to reach #1. The album's fourth single, "Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day", released to country radio on March 14, 2016. All six of the singles released from Bryan's Kill the Lights album reached #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making Bryan the first artist in the 27-year history of the chart to achieve six #1 singles from one album.
It was announced that Bryan would perform at halftime of the 2015 Thanksgiving match-up between the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers.
In 2016, Bryan was selected as one of 30 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.
On February 5, 2017, Bryan performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. In September 2017, Bryan was announced as a judge for the revival of American Idol on ABC.
Bryan released "Light It Up" in mid-2017. It served as the lead-off single to his sixth album, What Makes You Country, which was released on December 8, 2017. "Most People Are Good" and "Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset" were released as the album's second and third singles, respectively. The album's fourth single, the album's title track, released to country radio on October 22, 2018.
When American Idol returned for another season on ABC, Bryan returned along with Katy Perry and Lionel Richie as judges.
2019–2021: Born Here Live Here Die Here
"Knockin' Boots" was released to country radio in March 2019. In October 2019, "What She Wants Tonight" was released to country radio as the second single from his upcoming album. In January 2020, Bryan announced his next album would be titled Born Here Live Here Die Here and was scheduled to be released on April 24, 2020. The announcement of the album followed the announcement of his upcoming Proud to Be Right Here Tour. On March 13, 2020, "One Margarita" was released as the third single from his upcoming album. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryan delayed the release of the album to August 7, 2020, and rescheduled the Proud to Be Right Here Tour to 2021. On June 12, 2020, Bryan released the track "Build Me A Daddy" along with a music video for the song. On October 19, 2020, the song "Down to One" was made the fourth single from the album. A Deluxe edition of Born Here Live Here Die Here, released on April 9, 2021, produced the album's fifth single, "Waves", as well as its sixth single, "Up," which was released on October 11, 2021. In October, it was announced that Bryan would host the 55th Annual Country Music Association Awards for the first time, making him the first solo host in 18 years.
Games
Luke Bryan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you act like you never called me
When you see me at a bar
and you act like you never saw me
When you're dancing with him
and you're looking at me
Or I'm holding her, and I'm hoping you see
Or the one where you don't kiss me
All of these games, we play
I can't even keep 'em all straight
Do we mean what we say
We got lines crossed all over the place, yeah
I can't tell if I'm winning or losing
Somebody tell me what are we doing
Nobody ever comes out on top
Tell me are we ever gonna stop
Playing these games
The one where you act all surprised
Like you didn't know I'd be at the party
The way you make sure it gets back to me
That you got with somebody
The way you wake up, say it was just a mistake
But you always leave something over at my place
So I gotta bring it back
Now baby why you gotta be like that
All of these games, we play
I can't even keep 'em all straight
Do we mean what we say
We got lines crossed all over the place, yeah
I can't tell if I'm winning or losing
Somebody tell me what are we doing
Nobody ever comes out on top
Tell me are we ever gonna stop
Playing these games
This break-up, make-up,hot and cold thing got me dizzy
You don't want me til I got somebody with me
It's gonna kill me
Baby tell me, what am I supposed to do with you
And all of these games, we play
I can't even keep 'em all straight
Do we mean what we say
We got lines crossed all over the place, yeah
I can't tell if I'm winning or losing
Somebody tell me what are we doing
Nobody ever comes out on top
Tell me are we ever gonna stop
Playing these games
All of these games
"Games" by Luke Bryan is a song that delves into the confusion and frustration that can arise from the mixed signals and mind games that often come with modern dating. The lyrics describe various scenarios in which the singer is being toyed with, whether by someone not acknowledging him at a bar or by leaving something behind after a fling. The chorus expresses the singer's exasperation and confusion about the situation and the constant back-and-forth, not knowing what to believe or trust.
The song captures the mixed feelings that complicated relationships can bring, where the highs can be exhilarating but the lows can be crushing. The singer's frustration comes through as he tries to make sense of the games and figure out where he stands. Despite the lyrics' tone of annoyance and uncertainty, the upbeat melody and catchy chorus create a sense of optimism that suggests he's not ready to give up on the relationship just yet.
Line by Line Meaning
You know the one where you call
Referring to a specific scenario where the person calls but then denies ever calling.
But you act like you never called me
The other person pretends as if they never called before.
When you see me at a bar
Seeing each other at a bar or a public place.
and you act like you never saw me
Acting like they never saw each other and ignoring the other person.
When you're dancing with him
Referring to a situation where the person is dancing with another person.
and you're looking at me
The other person is trying to catch the attention and looks at the singer.
Or I'm holding her, and I'm hoping you see
The singer holding another girl in front of the other person to catch their attention.
Or the one where you don't kiss me
A situation where the other person does not kiss the singer.
Then you tell me that you miss me
The other person tells the singer that they miss them.
All of these games, we play
Referring to the various ways the two of them interact with each other.
I can't even keep 'em all straight
The singer is confused by the mixed signals.
Do we mean what we say
Questioning if the other person's words truly reflect their feelings.
We got lines crossed all over the place, yeah
Both of them are sending mixed signals to each other.
I can't tell if I'm winning or losing
The singer is unsure whether their actions are successful or not.
Somebody tell me what are we doing
The singer is seeking an explanation for their relationship status.
Nobody ever comes out on top
Neither of them seems to come out successfully from the situation.
Tell me are we ever gonna stop
Questioning if this cycle of games will ever end.
The one where you act all surprised
Referring to a scenario where the other person acts surprised or shocked.
Like you didn't know I'd be at the party
Acting like they never knew that the singer would be at the same party.
The way you make sure it gets back to me
The other person makes sure that the singer knows about their activities.
That you got with somebody
The other person hooked up with someone else.
The way you wake up, say it was just a mistake
The other person tries to justify their actions by saying it was a mistake.
But you always leave something over at my place
Leaving something behind at the singer's place to come back.
So I gotta bring it back
The singer has to bring back the item that was left behind.
Now baby why you gotta be like that
Questioning why the other person behaves in such a way.
This break-up, make-up,hot and cold thing got me dizzy
The irregularity in the relationship is making the singer confused and tired.
You don't want me til I got somebody with me
The other person shows interest in the singer only when they have someone else with them.
It's gonna kill me
The situation is mentally exhausting the singer.
Baby tell me, what am I supposed to do with you
Asking for an explanation for the other person's behavior.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUKE BRYAN, ASHLEY GORLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lunnie
Heard this song on the radio earlier and its been stuck in my head. Love it!
twd
I feel ya lol. It's stuck in my head and I can't go 15 minutes without listening to it.
Sonya
I absolutely love this song!! This is sure to hit number one for Luke Bryan!
MonadoMan
I can't get over how much this song gets to me. I was talking to this girl and she played games with my mind a lot. It doesn't have to be country or bro-country. It's just....speaking to me.
SUSAN BEKCER
i know wat u mean i have guy keeps doing this to me
Tommy Green
Love it so much Luke Bryan! 💖
Michael Molnar
You have to make you
Tore Last
this song is so catchy i cant get it out of my head>___<
Jesse Shaddox
I liked this comment just because of the face😁
Stephanie
Right