Something Like That

"Something Like That" is a song written by Rick Ferrell and Keith Follesé and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in June 1999 as the second single from McGraw's album A Place in the Sun. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, and peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it a minor crossover hit.

"Something Like That"
Single by Tim McGraw
from the album A Place in the Sun
ReleasedJune 28, 1999
Recorded1999
GenreCountry
Length3:03
LabelCurb
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Tim McGraw singles chronology
"Please Remember Me"
(1999)		 "Something Like That"
(1999)		 "My Best Friend"
(1999)

Background

"Something Like That" shares songwriting credits between Rick Ferrell and Keith Follesé, two Nashville lyricists. Ferrell first developed the song based on his memories of going to the local county fair in his youth in Ohio. He worked on the song for some time, stumbling upon its central piano melody, before joining forces with Follesé, who added details.[1] An original demo of the song was included on the 2010 compilation The Original Songwriter Demos Volumes 1 & 2.[2]

The song recounts the narrator's youthful experience of falling in love for the very first time at age seventeen. The man sees a woman at a county fair on Labor Day weekend when he is seventeen, and then five years later, sees her on a plane, while the man is heading to Mardi Gras. The bridge talks about how a love can never go away no matter how long the two people are apart. The song has been known as the "BBQ Stain Song" due to its memorable chorus hook: "I had a barbecue stain on my white t-shirt".[3]

Commercial performance

According to Ferrell, the song was not initially slated to be a single. He stated in an interview that McGraw was adamant to his label, Curb Records, to issue the song: "Tim kind of forced their hand on it," he said.[1] Curb first serviced the song to radio in May 1999.[4] According to Nielsen BDS, the song was the top-played radio single in any musical genre in the 2000s with 487,343 spins from January 1, 2000, to December 17, 2009.[4]

Critical reception

Natalie Nichols, writing for the Los Angeles Times, called it "a breezy recollection of young love" with "clever turns of phrase."[5] Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic called the song "feel-good" and reminiscent of the work of Tom Petty.[6] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying that "through its vivid, detail-laden approach, the lyric effectively hones [sic] in on the fact that the experience of one's first love is, in itself, unforgettable." He also states that the point of the song "is driven home by a sprightly piano hook, toe-tapping rhythm, and wildly catchy singalong-friendly chorus – a one-two punch that helps the record make an impression both as a great lyric and as a fun, catchy listen."[7]

Music video

The music video was directed by Scott Scovill, and produced by Moo TV. It premiered on CMT on July 2, 1999, during The CMT Delivery Room. It features McGraw on his touring.

Other versions

In September 2020, McGraw released a stripped-down acoustic version of the song. McGraw also revealed, around the time of the release of this version, that it is one of his favorite songs to play live.[8] He also performed this rendition live on the CBS special United We Sing: A Grammy Salute to the Unsung Heroes.[9] The next year, the song was covered by singer-songwriter Alex Melton in a pop punk style, featuring vocals from Ryan Scott Graham of the band State Champs.[10]

Charts

"Something Like That" re-entered the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks as an official single at number 68 for the week of July 3, 1999.

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[11] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 28
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (1999) Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[14] 20
US Country Songs (Billboard)[15] 13
Chart (2000) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[16] 52

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Vaughn, Grace Lenehan (August 4, 2022). "'Something Like That': The Story Behind Tim McGraw's Nostalgic Ode to Summer Love". Wide Open Country. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  2. LeMay, Joseph (September 20, 2010). "Coming Soon: Country's Biggest Hits, In Demo Form". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  3. Corrigan, Tom (June 11, 2018). "Downtown dream". Portsmouth Daily Times. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  4. "Tim McGraw Has Most-Played Single of the Decade - News". CMT. December 23, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  5. "Dixie Chicks Fill Wide Open Spaces". Los Angeles Times. July 5, 1999. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  6. Masley, Ed (June 16, 2015). "25 best Tim McGraw songs ever made (so far)". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  7. CountryUniverse.net Song review
  8. Bonaguro, Alison (September 30, 2020). "You've Never Heard Tim McGraw's "Something Like That" Like This - News". CMT. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  9. "Tim McGraw Shares Touching Performance of 'Something Like That' for 'United We Sing' Special: Watch". Billboard. June 22, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  10. Rogers, Jack (October 18, 2022). "Alex Melton Announces Debut Album 'Southern Charm'". Rock Sound. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  11. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 7308." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 25, 1999. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  12. "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  13. "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  14. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1999". RPM. December 13, 1999. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  15. "Best of 1999: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1999. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  16. "Best of 2000: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2000. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  17. "American single certifications – Tim McGraw – Something Like That". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
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