Rascal Flatts was an American country rock/pop country band founded in Colu… Read Full Bio ↴Rascal Flatts was an American country rock/pop country band founded in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, vocals). DeMarcus and LeVox are also second cousins.

Rascal Flatts has released six studio albums and a greatest hits album, all on Lyric Street Records. Their first two albums, 2000's Rascal Flatts and 2002's Melt, have been certified 2× Multi-Platinum and 3× Multi-Platinum, respectively, in the United States, while 2004's Feels Like Today and 2006's Me and My Gang have received 5× Multi-Platinum and 4× Multi-Platinum certifications respectively. 2007's Still Feels Good is certified 2× Multi-Platinum. Their album, Unstoppable, was released on April 7, 2009.

They have also released twenty-seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including ten Number Ones. A cover of Tom Cochrane's "Life Is a Highway", from the soundtrack to the 2006 Disney film Cars, also entered the country music charts from unsolicited airplay. Their longest-lasting Number One is "Bless the Broken Road" (late 2004-early 2005) at five weeks, while their biggest crossover single is "What Hurts the Most", which topped both the country and Adult Contemporary charts in 2006, and was a Top Ten pop hit. "Banjo", their most recent one, was released to Country radio on January 9, 2012. (Banjo Songfacts).

In early 2000, the group made their debut with their single "Prayin' for Daylight". This song, which reached #3 on the Billboard country charts. This was the first of four consecutive Top Ten hits from their self-titled debut, which was issued in early 2000 on Lyric Street. Following "Prayin' for Daylight" were "This Everyday Love", "While You Loved Me" and "I'm Movin' On", which respectively peaked at #9, #7, and #4 on the country charts. "I'm Movin' On" was awarded Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 2002.

History: Rascal Flatts were founded near Columbus, Ohio. Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus were second cousins from a musical family. DeMarcus's brother-in-law, James Otto, is also a country music artist. DeMarcus moved to Nashville in 1992, earning his first record deal as part of a Christian group called East to West. In 1997, he finally convinced LeVox to leave behind his job with the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and follow his musical dreams as well.

DeMarcus soon joined Chely Wright's band, and there he met Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus and LeVox were working in a Printer's Alley nightclub, and when their part-time guitarist could not make it one night, DeMarcus invited Rooney to sit in. Eventually, they took the name Rascal Flatts and began performing together, getting signed to Lyric Street Records in late 1999.

The band was recently announced that they have celebrated 10 years of being one of the hottest country bands of the decade. On January 7, 2020, Rascal Flatts announced that they would be disbanding following a farewell tour after twenty years together. However, this farewell tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the group's disbandment was officially confirmed in October 2021.

Backwards
Rascal Flatts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was sittin' on a bar stool
In a barbecue joint in Tennessee
When this old boy walked in
And he sat right down next to me

I could tell he'd been through some hard times
'Cause there were tear stains on his old shirt
And he said, you wanna know what you get

When you play a country song backwards

You get your house back
You get your dog back
You get your best friend Jack back
You get your truck back

You get your hair back
You get your first and second jobs back
Your front porch swing

Your bling, bling, bling and a diamond ring
You get your farm, and the barn
And the boat, and the Harley
And that old black cat named Charlie

It sounds a little crazy
A little scattered and absurd
But that's what you get
When you play a country song backwards

Well, I never heard it said quite like that
It hit me in the face 'cause that's where I'm at
I almost fell flat out on the floor
He said, wait a minute, that's not all
There's even more

You get your mind back
You get your nerves back
Your achy breaky heart
You get your pride back

You get your life back
You get your first real love back
You get your big screen TV, a DVD
And a washing machine

You get the pond, and the lawn
The breaker, and the mower
You go back where you don't know her
It sounds a little crazy

A little scattered and absurd
But that's what you get
When you play a country song backwards
Oh play that song!

We sat there and talked
About how it would be
If we could turn it all around
And go back T-I-M-E

You get your house back
You get your dog back
You get your best friend Jack back
You get your truck back

You get your hair back
You get your first and second job back
Your front porch swing

Your bling, bling, bling and a diamond ring
You get your farm, and the barn
And the boat, and the Harley
And that old black cat named Charlie
You get your mind back

You get your nerves back
Your achy breaky heart
You get your pride back
You get your life back

You get your first real love back
You get your big screen TV, a DVD
And a washing machine
You get the pond, and the lawn

The breaker, and the mower
You go back when life was slower
It sounds a little crazy
A little scattered and absurd

But that's what you get
When you play a country song backwards

Overall Meaning

Rascal Flatts’ “Backwards” is a song about how things can change for the better if you play a country song “backwards.” The song begins with the singer sitting on a bar stool in a barbecue joint in Tennessee when an old boy walks in and sits down beside him. The old boy describes how things can turn out positively if they play a country song backwards. From getting a house back to getting a barn, boats, motorcycles, and even a first love back, the song stresses that you can get everything back if you play a country song backwards.

The song’s underlying message is about the power of change and the sense of nostalgia. By playing a country song backwards, it prompts the listeners to take a moment to reflect on their past and how things used to be. The song’s lyrics also suggest that getting back what we lost so long ago is impossible. Life is constantly changing, it’s about moving forward, and cherishing what we have in the present.

Line by Line Meaning

I was sittin' on a bar stool
Narrator sets the scene at a bar

In a barbecue joint in Tennessee
Narrator specifies the location

When this old boy walked in
A man is about to share something with the singer

And he sat right down next to me
Narrator and man have a conversation

I could tell he'd been through some hard times
Narrator observes that the man has been struggling

'Cause there were tear stains on his old shirt
Man's appearance signals his emotional state

And he said, you wanna know what you get
Man is about to reveal a secret to the singer

When you play a country song backwards
Man hints that playing a country song backwards has a surprising effect

You get your house back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of possessions

You get your dog back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a pet

You get your best friend Jack back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous end to a friendship

You get your truck back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a vehicle

You get your hair back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of hair

You get your first and second jobs back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of employment(s)

Your front porch swing
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a swing on the front porch

Your bling, bling, bling and a diamond ring
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of jewelry

You get your farm, and the barn
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a property and its structures

And the boat, and the Harley
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a boat and a motorcycle

And that old black cat named Charlie
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a pet cat

It sounds a little crazy
Man acknowledges the unusual nature of this phenomenon

A little scattered and absurd
Man notes that it may be difficult to believe

But that's what you get
Man insists that this is what happens

Well, I never heard it said quite like that
Narrator is surprised by what he heard

It hit me in the face 'cause that's where I'm at
The experience resonated with the artist on a personal level

I almost fell flat out on the floor
The revelation was so impactful that it almost knocked the singer over

He said, wait a minute, that's not all
Man adds that there is more to this phenomenon

You get your mind back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of mental clarity

You get your nerves back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of composure

Your achy breaky heart
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous heartbreak

You get your pride back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of dignity

You get your life back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous disruption to one's lifestyle

You get your first real love back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous end to a romantic relationship

You get your big screen TV, a DVD
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of electronic devices

And a washing machine
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a washing machine

You get the pond, and the lawn
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a body of water and a plot of land

The breaker, and the mower
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of an electrical breaker and a lawn mower

You go back when life was slower
Playing a country song backwards reverts time to a previous era when life was less hectic

It sounds a little crazy
Man acknowledges the unusual nature of this phenomenon

A little scattered and absurd
Man notes that it may be difficult to believe

But that's what you get
Man insists that this is what happens

Oh play that song!
Man wants the artist to experience this phenomenon for himself and requests a song to be played

We sat there and talked
Narrator and man discussed the possibilities

About how it would be
Narrator and man speculated how they would reverse their losses

If we could turn it all around
Narrator and man wanted to go back in time and regain what they lost

And go back T-I-M-E
Narrator and man wanted to go back in time

You get your house back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of possessions

You get your dog back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a pet

You get your best friend Jack back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous end to a friendship

You get your truck back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of a vehicle

You get your hair back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of hair

You get your first and second job back
Playing a country song backwards reverses a previous loss of employment(s)