Tennessee Born and Bred

1990 song by Eddie Rabbit

"Tennessee Born and Bred"

Single by Eddie Rabbitt

from the album Jersey Boy

Released

1991

Genre

Country

Length

3:09

Label

Capitol Records Nashville

Songwriter(s)

Eddie Rabbitt
Reed Nielsen

Producer(s)

Richard Landis

Eddie Rabbitt singles chronology

"American Boy"
(1990)

"Tennessee Born and Bred"
(1991)

"Hang Up the Phone"
(1991)

"Tennessee Born and Bred" is a song recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt and released in 1991 as the fifth and final single from his twelfth studio album Jersey Boy. The song was written by Rabbitt and Reed Nielsen, and produced by Richard Landis. The song reached number 58 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.^[1]

Background

On March 16, 1991, Cash Box listed the song at number three on their top three 'most added singles' on country radio.^[2]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Greg Crutcher and produced by Carolyn Betts for Dream Ranch Pictures.^[3] It took a day to shoot at Smiley Hollow Barn, near Ridgetop, on 28 September 1990. The shoot required approximately 150 extras, with people openly invited via an advert in The Tennessean to turn up at the barn dressed in "orange and blue fall clothing".^[4] Rabbitt's wife makes an appearance in the video as the woman taking photographs.^[5]

Critical reception

In a review of the single, Billboard described "Tennessee Born and Bred" as an "acoustic, bluegrass-sprinkled feast of sound" and "one of the most infectious songs Rabbitt has ever recorded". They praised the song's "breakneck speed", "good humor" and "sweet energy", but felt the lyrics contained clichés.^[6] Cash Box considered it a "snappy number" with "fun and excitement" and Rabbitt's "stinging vocals". They added, "...and if Rabbitt's firey-edge performance doesn't set you to a sizzle, the rootsy electricity which pours from excellent bluegrass-flavored instrumentation will!"^[7]

The Gavin Report described the track as a "light-hearted song [with] a spirited bluegrass feel".^[8] In a retrospective review of Jersey Boy, Charlotte Dillon of AllMusic picked "Tennessee Born and Bred" as a song that "Eddie Rabbitt fans might especially enjoy".^[9]

Charts

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[10]	82
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[11]	58
US Country Singles (Cash Box)^[12]	25

References

^ "Chart History: Eddie Rabbitt". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ "Country Radio: Most Added Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 54, no. 31. New York City, New York: Cash Box. March 16, 1991. p. 19. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ "Music Video: New Videoclips" (PDF). Billboard. February 9, 1991. p. 64. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ "Sing along with Rabbitt". The Tennessean. September 20, 1990. p. 2D.
^ Gamblin, Garth (February 6, 1991). "Kirsten jokes her way into music video with Rabbitt". The Messenger. Vol. 73, no. 290.
^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. February 16, 1991. p. 71. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 54, no. 31. New York City, New York. March 16, 1991. p. 19. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ Smith, Lisa; Hoelzle, Cyndi (February 15, 1991). "New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 56. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ Dillon, Charlotte. "Jersey Boy - Eddie Rabbitt". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1520." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. May 18, 1991. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ "Eddie Rabbitt Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ "Country Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 54, no. 34. New York City, New York. April 13, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved March 7, 2021.