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.
What Are We Doing in Love
Mark Chesnutt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uptown, uptight, you?re way a living.
I can never be that kind of man.
You got your powdered up painted on lipstick.
I got a hole in my brand new jeans.
You?d never be caught dead in a pickup.
I?d get mud in your limousine.
So what are we doing love.
You tell me, cause I give up.
The odds are stacked a hundred to one.
So what are we doing in love.
Sweet tea, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, football, nascar, Redman chew.
You?re sweet champagne and caviar kisses.
I?m cheeseburgers and 90 proof.
I?m a dirt poor redneck cowboy.
You?re a woman of the world.
I don?t know what you see in my brown eyes.
You can do so much better than me.
Chorus
Why do you love me?
I give up baby.
Chorus
In Mark Chesnutt's song "What Are We Doing in Love", the country artist addresses a cultural divide between him and his lover. The lyrics highlight the couple's contrasting tastes and lifestyles. The song expresses the differences between uptown and downtown living. The first verse talks about his lover's high maintenance demeanor, wearing powdered up lipstick and being uncomfortable with a pick-up truck. In contrast, Chesnutt is more comfortable in his dirt poor redneck cowboy lifestyle, with a hole in his new jeans and is content drinking sweet tea, eating cornbread, and fried green tomatoes.
The chorus questions the idea of why they are together, expressing confusion about the probable outcome of a relationship with numerous societal differences. Chesnutt questions the fate of their love, explaining that they come from two different worlds and are confronted with a hundred to one odds of working out. The second verse further emphasizes their differences, highlighting the taste of sweet champagne and caviar kisses that his lover loves compared to his 90 proof cheeseburgers.
The bridge expresses doubt in their love, with Chesnutt's open confession "why do you love me? I give up baby." The song expresses a sense of helplessness in the face of long odds while pointing out the differences between rural and urban culture as well as pondering the fate of a love that did not seem to be the norm.
Line by Line Meaning
You say country like it's a bad thing, tease me baby for the way I am.
You criticize my country lifestyle and taunt me for being true to myself.
Uptown, uptight, you're way a living.
You have a high-class lifestyle that is rigid and lacking freedom.
I can never be that kind of man.
I am not capable of abandoning my values to fit into your privileged lifestyle.
You got your powdered up painted on lipstick.
You wear heavy, artificial makeup to enhance your appearance.
I got a hole in my brand new jeans.
I have a flaw in my clothing, but it doesn't bother me because I prioritize comfort over style.
You'd never be caught dead in a pickup.
You would never be seen driving a pickup truck, as it doesn't fit with your image.
I'd get mud in your limousine.
If we were to ride in your fancy car, I would likely track dirt and mud inside of it due to my relaxed lifestyle.
Sweet tea, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, football, nascar, Redman chew.
I enjoy comfort foods, popular sports, and chewing tobacco.
You're sweet champagne and caviar kisses.
You prefer luxurious and expensive tastes and experiences.
I'm cheeseburgers and 90 proof.
I tend to indulge in simple, hearty food and strong alcoholic drinks.
I'm a dirt poor redneck cowboy.
I am a financially struggling person with simple tastes and a love for western culture.
You're a woman of the world.
You have a more sophisticated and worldly view of life.
I don't know what you see in my brown eyes.
I am unsure what qualities you find attractive in me given our differences.
You can do so much better than me.
You have more opportunities for a better partner given our contrasting lifestyles.
So what are we doing love.
I am questioning the reason for our romantic involvement given our incompatible ways of life.
You tell me, cause I give up.
I am asking you to explain the purpose of our relationship, as I am unsure and feel defeated.
The odds are stacked a hundred to one.
Our chances for a successful relationship are highly unlikely given our stark differences.
Why do you love me?
I am seeking an explanation for why you are attracted to me given our contrasting lifestyles.
I give up baby.
I am resigning to the fact that I will never fully understand why you are drawn to me given our differences.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DEAN MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind