Mark Chesnutt’s stature is easily gauged. He has 14 #1 hits, 23 Top 10 singles, four platinum albums and five gold records to his credit; he maintains a front-and-center presence with a hefty tour schedule year after year. Country music critics and fans alike need look no further when it comes to Country music basics. If you ask Chesnutt, he’ll tell you, “It’s the music and the fans that have kept me around this long.” In a creative forum that sometimes confuses style with substance, Mark Chesnutt possesses both.
Remaining true to himself as a traditional country artist, while keeping the pace with the ever-changing country recording landscape, Mark Chesnutt has a knack for picking great songs, delivering them with world-class style and a heart-felt emotion that’s lived-in. With a trademarked voice, Chesnutt has set the bar for his generation and those that follow in his footsteps shaping the music of today’s country music newcomers and the new country music format. Mark Chesnutt’s personal integrity combined with his principal to record a genuine country song has made him a fixture on radio and in honky tonks across the globe.
Chesnutt got his start in the honky-tonks of Beaumont, Texas, learning from his father, Bob Chesnutt, a singer, record collector and major fan of classic country music. Playing alongside his dad, Mark embraced his father’s influence one set at a time and to begin making a name for himself. Mark sang covers by Lefty, Merle, George and Waylon to develop his unmatched crowd-pleasing rapport and his authentic country style.
Bob Chesnutt often traveled to Nashville to record and to broaden his exposure. He began taking Mark along to record when he was just 17. After nearly a decade of recording on regional labels, word got out about this young country vocalist. Music Row executives came to hear Mark on his own Texas turf and recognized the depth of Mark Chesnutt’s raw talent.
In 1989, he was signed to MCA Nashville and his list of accolades tells the rest of his story. With the release of his first single“ Too Cold At Home,” Mark established himself as one of country’s most authentic and talented vocalists. He won the CMA Horizon Award attracting the attention of country legend [and Mark’s greatest mentor] George Jones who introduced him as “A boy from Beaumont, Texas who is the real deal.” That recognition and initial success opened the door to offer Mark his chance of a lifetime, to do what he loved most—sing country music for country fans; this time, on a national level. “The first couple years it was non-stop.” Mark says.
“I can remember one time during a tour, I didn’t step foot on the front porch for ten months, with exception of a day or a day-and-a- half, then, it was right back out again.” Mark’s dedication paid off. He developed a true blue fan base. Fans, he confides, “are the reason for my success.”
His fans helped his records to climb the charts one right after the other making him one of Billboard’s Ten Most-Played Radio Artists of the ‘90’s. Mark’s singles were some the decade’s most memorable; from the fun tempo “Bubba Shot The Jukebox” to emotional ballad “I’ll Think Of Something.” Mark is easily identified for his string of hits including “Brother Jukebox,” “Blame It On Texas,” “Old Flames Have New Names,” “Old Country,” “It Sure Is Monday,” “Almost Goodbye,” “I Just Wanted You To Know,” “Going Through The Big D,” “It’s A Little Too Late,” “Gonna Get A Life,” and one of his biggest, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing;” a song that held its position at the top of the charts for four consecutive weeks.
Of all the recorded highlights Chesnutt has enjoyed, they take a back seat to his first love; Mark Chesnutt lives to perform on stage. “I just make records because want people to come see my show,” he says with a grin. “Recording music for folks to just listen to music is great,” he says, “but I’ve got to be out there on stage making it.” Fans who have seen him perform agree. Known as one of the industry’s hardest-working concert performers, maintaining a hefty tour schedule and steady presence in front of his fans, Mark’s dedication to deliver live music is unsurpassed. Mark has been on the road since 1990. Whether you hear Mark Chesnutt with a new release on the radio, or see his face on the cover of a new CD, folks can always find Mark doing what he was born to do playing. “The clubs and honky tonks are home for me; it’s comfortable and I’m always with friends,” says Chesnutt.
Married since 1992, Mark and Tracie Chesnutt are the loving parents of three boys, Waylon, Casey & Cameron.
Don't Ruin It for the Rest of Us
Mark Chesnutt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your braggin' that you fell in love
Can't you see we're kinda busy here
Swappin lies and cryin' in our beer.
So you're getting married, good for you
It's 1st inning, Braves are down by two
Grab a seat and keep your big mouth shut
I hardly recognized you
With that smile on your face
Your shirt's tucked in
You shaved your chin
And every hair's in place
You smell a whole lot better
Than any body in this bar
Here's a dollar
Buy yourself a cheap cigar.
Don't ruin it for the rest of us
With your braggin' that you fell in love
Can't you see we're kinda busy here
Swappin lies and cryin' in our beer.
So you're getting married, good for you
It's 3rd inning, Braves are down by two
Grab a seat and keep your big mouth shut
And don't ruin it for the rest of us.
You missed the bowling season
Butch blew a perfect game
And when we got the new shirts printed up
There was an "I" in Shooter's name.
Well Ronnie's back to walkin'
He got another D.U.I.
So if you plan on gettin' out of here alive
Don't ruin it for the rest of us
With your braggin' that you fell in love
Can't you see we're kinda busy here
Swappin lies and cryin' in our beer.
So you're getting married, good for you
It's 6th inning, Braves are down by two
Grab a seat and keep your big mouth shut
And don't ruin it for the rest of us.
Don't ruin it for the rest of us
With your braggin' that you fell in love
Can't you see we're kinda busy here
Swappin lies and cryin' in our beer.
So you're getting married, good for you
It's 9th inning, we're about to lose
I told ya twice to keep your pie-hole shut
And don't ruin it for the rest of us.
Can't you see
We've been through enough
Don't ruin it for the rest of us...
In Mark Chesnutt's song "Don't Ruin It for the Rest of Us," the singer laments about a friend who has recently fallen in love and is getting married. He takes issue with his friend's constant bragging about his new relationship during their usual hangouts. The singer points out that they are all there to swap lies and cry in their beer, not to hear about someone else's newfound happiness. The sarcastic tone continues as he encourages his friend to stay quiet and simply enjoy the baseball game they are watching together. The song serves as a commentary on how love and happiness can often cause jealousy and resentment among friends.
The opening lines of the song urge the friend not to ruin the evening with his boasting; this is followed by the singer's acknowledgement of his friend's recent engagement. However, he quickly adds that they are watching a game and not interested in hearing about it. The sarcastic lines suggest that his friend is unfamiliar with the unwritten rules of the group's conversations. The singer tells him to keep his mouth shut and enjoy the game like everyone else.
In the second verse, the singer notices how his friend has changed since he fell in love – "you hardly recognize him." The friend shaved his chin, tucked in his shirt, and smells a lot better. The singer buys him a dollar for a cheap cigar, but he still persists in telling him to keep quiet because they are all swapping lies and crying in their beer.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't ruin it for the rest of us
Please do not spoil the moment for everyone else
With your braggin' that you fell in love
By talking about how you found love, it takes the focus off of our conversation
Can't you see we're kinda busy here
We are currently engaged in something and don't want any distractions
Swappin lies and cryin' in our beer.
Sharing stories and troubles with each other while drinking beer
So you're getting married, good for you
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage
It's 1st inning, Braves are down by two
The game has just started and our team is losing
Grab a seat and keep your big mouth shut
Take a seat and try not to talk too much
I hardly recognized you
You look very different from how you usually do
With that smile on your face
Because you are so happy
Your shirt's tucked in
Your shirt looks neat and tidy
You shaved your chin
Your beard is gone
And every hair's in place
You look well groomed
You smell a whole lot better
You are no longer smelling bad
Than any body in this bar
In fact, you smell better than everyone else here
Here's a dollar
Take this money as a present
Buy yourself a cheap cigar.
Go buy yourself something to enjoy
It's 3rd inning, Braves are down by two
The game has progressed, but our team is still losing
Well Ronnie's back to walkin'
Ronnie is no longer in jail and is able to walk around freely
He got another D.U.I.
Unfortunately, Ronnie has gotten another DUI
So if you plan on gettin' out of here alive
If you don't want us to get angry with you, be careful what you say
It's 6th inning, Braves are down by two
We are still losing, and the game is progressing
It's 9th inning, we're about to lose
The game is almost over, and we are very close to losing
I told ya twice to keep your pie-hole shut
I have already warned you twice to not talk too much
Can't you see
Don't you understand
We've been through enough
We have all had our own troubles
Don't ruin it for the rest of us...
Please don't spoil this moment for anyone else
Contributed by Lucy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.