The dingy, Southern Gothic feel of Blake Shelton's "God's Country" gets amplified by his new acoustic version.
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Unlike a lot of acoustic takes of country hits, it's not completely stripped of recording studio gloss. Still, this less-is-more arrangement lets the poetic lyrics of co-writers Devin Dawson, Hardy and Jordan Schmidt cut through the haze more clearer than before. It puts over not just the lyrics, but also Shelton's well-established talent as a singer and storyteller.
The alternate take on a currently successful single arrives at a busy time for Shelton. His duet with Garth Brooks, "Dive Bar," is also available to country radio. The two veterans from Oklahoma will perform the song for the first and supposedly only time tonight (July 19) at Brooks' Stadium Tour stop in Boise, Idaho.
It's not the only acoustic version of the song released in the past week. Dawson celebrated his first co-write to reach number one with his own rendition and an accompanying music video.
"God's Country" Lyrics:
Right outside of this one church town
There's a gold dirt road to a whole lot of nothin'
Got a deed to the land, but it ain't my ground
This is God's country
We pray for rain, and thank Him when it's fallen
'Cause it brings a grain and a little bit of money
We put it back in the plate
I guess that's why they call it God's country
I saw the light in the sunrise
Sittin' back in the 40 on the muddy riverside
Gettin' baptized in holy water and shine
With the dogs runnin'
Saved by the sound of the been found
Dixie whistled in the wind, that'll get you Heaven bound
The Devil went down to Georgia, but he didn't stick around
This is God's country
We turned the dirt and worked until the week's done
We take a break and break bread on Sunday
And then do it all again
'Cause we're proud to be from God's country (Yeah, yeah)
I saw the light in the sunrise
Sittin' back in the 40 on the muddy riverside
Gettin' baptized in holy water and shine
With the dogs runnin'
Saved by the sound of the been found
Dixie whistled in the wind, that'll get you Heaven bound
The Devil went down to Georgia but he didn't stick around
This is God's country (Yeah)
God's country
I don't care what my headstone reads
Or what kind of pine wood box I end up in
When it's my time, lay me six feet deep
In God's country (Yeah, yeah)
I saw the light in the sunrise
Sittin' back in the 40 on the muddy riverside
Gettin' baptized in holy water and shine
With the dogs runnin'
Saved by the sound of the been found
Dixie whistled in the wind, that'll get you Heaven bound
The devil went down to Georgia but he didn't stick around
This is God's country (God's country)
Yeah, I saw the light in the sunrise
Sittin' back in the 40 on the muddy riverside
Gettin' baptized in holy water and shine
With the dogs runnin'
Saved by the sound of the been found
Dixie whistled in the wind, that'll get you Heaven bound
The Devil went down to Georgia but he didn't stick around
This is God's country
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https://rumble.com/embed/u7gve.v3v5e3/
