Chris Janson’s Embarrassing “Buy Me A Boat” Becomes Hit
Warning: Some Language
Brilliantly crafted to be fiercely relevant during Bro-Country’s utmost height in 2013, a deceptively-described “unknown” and currently unsigned artist by the name of Chris Janson has country music pitching a tent in its pants after peaking on the iTunes charts due to country radio scourge Bobby Bones spinning this frapish timewaste on his syndicated radio show, and mindless consumers rushing out to buy it because it reminds them of the good ol’ days of Brantley Gilbert, and more importantly, because they were told to by the domineering voice emanating from their speakers.
As Bill Parcells once said, put the anointing oil away. This isn’t an independent country music savior, and this isn’t REAL COUNTRY (in all caps) as the troglodytes that come out of the woodwork like to preach when a subject like this surfaces. This is a Florida Georgia Line starter kit with a drum machine beat, Stratocaster-fueled wank-off guitars, ultra cliché über laundry list lyrics, all compiled in a most unfortunate and shallow audio offering that profiteered off the fact that American radio ownership has been allowed to unfairly consolidate into these gargantuan juggernauts that can turn a play or two on a radio show into historic mountain moving events.
Chris Janson becomes the perfect pitchman for exuberant and unhealthy American consumerism in the wholly-unoriginal, culturally-deprecated, and easily-forgettable Bro-Country track “Buy Me A Boat.” Burying any of the wisdom found embedded in countless American music standards about how things such as love and hard work are the way to true fulfillment and happiness, Chris Janson says screw all that, if you want to be happy, then go out and buy shit. The lines, “I ain’t rich, but I damn sure wanna be” and “I keep hearing that money is the root of all evil, and you can’t stick a camel through the eye of a needle. I’m sure that’s all true, but it still sounds pretty cool” say it all. Sure, we’d all love to be rich, but throwing 55,000 years of human wisdom out the door because this dude wants a Sea Doo is pretty disturbing.
Audible, open-belly laughs emanated from me when I read how this song bucks current trends because it doesn’t mention Fireball or females, so said Bobby Bones to Rolling Stone Country. Bullshit I say. Especially for a song that can be gauged by a March 2015 perspective, the case can be made that on a 1 to 10 scare for the amount of cliché and pandering, “Buy Me A Boat” would grade a 10.0. It may not mention Fireball, but it does mention “boat” (√) “truck” (√) “redneck” (√) “blue collar” (√) “beer” (√) “Silver Bullet” specifically, so extra credit for corporate product endorsement, (√) “cooler” specifically a Yet 110 so another product endorsement bonus (√ & √). Yep, that’s pretty much the song. Original my country music ass.
And I know this song did well on the iTunes country charts for a few days, but let’s quit obsessing over a very proprietary system of music measurement that is purposely made to be susceptible to hyper-events that distort the overall picture on the impact of an album or a song. I’m not saying the iTunes charts don’t matter, but there’s a reason most music is measured on a weekly performance schedule instead of an hourly one—because these trends can distort the true impact and prospects of a song or artist. Bobby Bones purposely played the song multiple times, including two times in a 30-minute widow, and then goaded his listeners into buying it on iTunes to attempt to push it to #1. Meanwhile this is all a part of a Bobby Bones scheme to garner himself even more attention and appoint himself as the sole taste maker in “country” music after he was given and unearned and unhealthy perch by iHeartMedia that exacerbates his clinical narcissism.
Should we still be excited that an unsigned outsider can gain some traction without the aid of the evil empire encamped on Music Row? Gee I guess so, but what’s the fun of reaching the top of the mountain when you’ve sold your ass to do it? But let’s tap the brakes just a second on Chris Janson’s outsider status. This dude has played the Grand Ole Opry more than 60 times, 60 times, and was once signed to Sony, and published cuts with Justin Moore and Randy Houser. You don’t play the Opry 60 times as an outsider or an unknown, and you certainly don’t do it without the influential Opry GM Pete Fisher firmly in your corner.
So what’s the big takeaway from the Chris Janson “Buy Me A Boat” story? It’s that Bobby Bones has poor taste in music and can stir the gullible masses into buying something irrelevant and outdated by ordering them to do his bidding, and some dude with a shallow song can profiteer from it. This “Buy Me A Boat” phenomenon was the iTunes equivalent of a radio prank. It’s not inspiring or insightful about the trends in music, it’s embarrassing. And it’s also a shame, because Chris Janson actually has a few decent songs, but “Buy Me A Boat” isn’t one of them.
“Had I done this with a bad song, it wouldn’t have mattered, because people aren’t going to buy it if it’s bad,” said Bobby Bones.
Wrong again my little country music interloping friend. You mind-numbed listeners bought “Buy Me A Boat” because you told them to, and you, iHeartMedia, mainstream country music, and society at large have fettled them into nice little consumers who are used to following orders.
Two guns way down!
March 24, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
You didn’t even mention this dumb song is SQUASHED with Auto-Tune.
August 17, 2015 @ 5:58 am
I don’t know who this Bobby Bones is and I wanted to respond to the author but can’t find a way to fo that.(Please let me know how if any of you know). I don’t listen to country radio but I listen to Pandora and this song came on and I love it! It’s funny, simple, and catchy. I doubt Chris Jansen really thinks this way and for a novice to country music, like myself, I find it refreshing. Nothing to think about. Just sing along and smile.
August 17, 2015 @ 3:46 pm
The author is an idiot anyway. The song is not stamped with “take me seriously”. Author needs to know the difference between a sea doo and a boat. Song is “Buy me a boat” not buy me a sea doo. Need to chill
Citiot!
April 16, 2017 @ 4:09 am
Is the author a moral guardian or a music reviewer? Who needs his lecture?
March 24, 2015 @ 12:08 pm
Chris is also partially responsible for Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah” (it took 4 songwriters for that garbage) so I can’t say I’m surprised by this song at all.
March 24, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
Why is it the worst songs seem to take the most songwriters? Do they read initial drafts and think “not hip enough” or something? And here come Kris Kristofferson and Billy Joe Shaver writing timeless classics by themselves.
March 24, 2015 @ 5:36 pm
Perhaps those songs are so bad because so many people were involved in writing them. I suspect that each member of the team is assigned to do marketing research and figure out a few lines with mass appeal. The writers then string the lines together into an incoherent list of a lyric.
March 25, 2015 @ 5:40 am
I’ve only written a few songs, and don’t claim that they’re anything worth writing home about. But that little bit of experience makes it less clear to me, not more, as to how you could possibly write a coherent song with 4 or 5 or 6 writers. It’d be like trying to eat soup with a fork.
September 26, 2015 @ 12:04 pm
I wrote a 40-minute song on my own. One man with a lot of time on his own can accomplish a lot…but who am I kidding, nobody in Nashville knows of patience.
March 24, 2015 @ 2:41 pm
If you want to be Brandon, I can change my name on here. I’ll be… I’ll figure it out…
March 26, 2015 @ 9:36 am
“Figure It Out” is good. Or “Formerly Brandon” 😛
June 28, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
“Truck Yeah” is the only good Tim McGraw song
March 24, 2015 @ 12:12 pm
“They call me redneck, white trash, and blue collar
But I could change all that with a couple million dollars”
That’s it. Done.
March 24, 2015 @ 12:25 pm
I don’t trust any artist that’s still doing the crossed arrows thing. Nothing screams derivative, data-marketed, corporate mess like that symbol.
March 30, 2015 @ 4:59 am
If you think that is bad, cross rifles are even worse!!!
March 24, 2015 @ 12:31 pm
I listen to a 30 second preview of this on itunes earlier when i saw how high it was on that chart. Didn’t like it to say the least. Sounds like a leftover from 2012
Also didn’t this guy do some work with Holly Williams a while back?
March 24, 2015 @ 2:11 pm
He did a duet with Holly called “A Love I Think Will Last” on her “Here With Me” album.
March 25, 2015 @ 11:25 am
That’s this guy on Holly’s track?! That makes me sad. I love that song.
March 24, 2015 @ 12:48 pm
Janson is one of the more frustrating artists in Country music today, because unlike someone like Aldean, Bryan or FGL, he has clear talent. Having watched some of his Opry shows, the guy can clearly engage an audience like few mainstream artists can.
That said, that talent has pretty much been wasted thus far with the stuff he has written and recorded. His EP’s from last year or two years ago lacked one song I found interesting and this song is much the same way. Add in the fact he helped write “Truck Yeah” and it’s such a shame to see a guy who clearly has talent, just waste it all away recording songs that sound like songs Aldean, Bryan and FGL think is terrible. Which is saying something.
March 24, 2015 @ 1:06 pm
Hey, you don’t pay off bass boats by writing heartfelt songs for your solo career.
March 24, 2015 @ 3:01 pm
Agreed and if I’m not mistaken, Janson basically admitted in a Rolling Stone interview that the song was written with the hopes of being able to better support his wife and one year old.
On one hand I guess I can’t blame him, considering the turnover rate in the entertainment industry, especially music and considering he has now had 2 or 3 failed record deals I guess I can’t fault a guy for trying to cash out while he still can.
It’s just sad that a song like this or “Truck Yeah” is what a pretty talented artist had to or decides he has to write or record to make a buck and have a shot at gaining mainstream attention. I get that sometimes we as music fans can fall in love with the “starving artist” idea, but it just sucks that Chris Janson cannot bottle up that talent he has shown on the Opry stage and have a successful career doing it THAT way rather than having to lick Bobby Bones’ boots to make a buck.
June 29, 2015 @ 5:42 pm
You obviously don’t understand what the word talent means
March 24, 2015 @ 12:48 pm
So what you’re saying is I shouldn’t off my Jason Boland for this, hm?
March 24, 2015 @ 12:51 pm
This video says it won’t play from the site here in my region . Thank God for small mercies.
BTW Trigger . Another gem of a no-holds-barred-damn -the-torpedoes-tell-it-like-it-is review. You’ll NEVER get an ulcer with this site as your stress reliever .
I’m finding it very interesting just how many articles are floating around about ” today’s ‘country’ music ” . They seem to be popping up everywhere and for the most part all have the same issues with the poor quality of music and many of the artists . Surely these articles must cross an artist’s screen more often than they used to .
July 12, 2015 @ 3:43 pm
They might cross an artists screen but that doesn’t matter because most people who listen to the radio like the music
July 16, 2015 @ 7:37 am
“They might cross an artists screen but that doesn”™t matter because most people who listen to the radio like the music”
Apparently , Jonathan.
The issue most COUNTRY fans have with it is that it is NOT Country music . They might as well be playing Reggae or Gregorian Chant on those ” country stations ” as it has drifted so far away from actual country music in themes , narratives , performance and instrumentation that it is all but indiscernible as such . Millions love Celine Dion’s music . But you’d be scratching your head and quite frustrated if they played her on a JAZZ station and call her a jazz artist ….
March 24, 2015 @ 1:30 pm
And Bobby Bones tweets how he “received” free swag from YETI for his help getting this song on the top of iTunes for that period of time. Wouldn’t be surprised to learn if they asked Bobby to endorse this promising rewards if his endorsement works.
March 24, 2015 @ 1:34 pm
Payola still exists they have just gotten smarter about it.
March 24, 2015 @ 1:43 pm
45 seconds. That was all I could take of that horrible drivel. What an awful “song”!
I had just seen the article on Rolling Stone about this song and had to come and see if you had mentioned it yet, Trigger. You did not disappoint. This review is perfect. Thanks for doing what you do.
July 12, 2015 @ 2:03 pm
Trigger is egotistical and only wrights reviews like this to hide behind a keyboard and satisfy an unreasonable personal vendetta against Bobby Bones
July 12, 2015 @ 2:07 pm
Oh kiss my ass. I actually have a lot of respect for Bobby Bones as I’ve said before, because as much of a bonehead as he is, he’s ascended to one of the most powerful positions in country music. I’m not hiding behind a keyboard any more than he’s hiding behind a microphone. It’s called a medium.
July 12, 2015 @ 2:51 pm
Given the tone of the comment and the misspelling of “write”, I am pretty sure that it was meant to be sarcastic 😉
March 24, 2015 @ 2:39 pm
WTF is this? Everything from the song to the endorsement from fucking Bobby bones is so fake!
It is like Bobby Bones is trying to redeem himself from how badly he handled the Aaron Watson situation earlier in January by going onto Rolling Stones and crap some bullshit that this Chris Janson guy will become famous because of his show.
This song is dumb to the core. typical laundry list. same old country redneck theme song. stupid songs for stupid people listening to Bobby bones show.
March 24, 2015 @ 2:54 pm
“Florida Georgia Line Starter Kit with A Drum Machine”
Oh SNAP!, I just spit my drink everywhere when I read that! Bawhaha
March 24, 2015 @ 3:05 pm
I captured that ridiculous simpleton Captain America recently. He was saying evil never wins blah blah blah. I had to shut him up, so I placed him in a cell with my most insidious torture; Bro-Country. After 24 straight hours of beer, trucks, tailgates, “girls,” drum machines, and guitar wanking, the poor patriot couldn’t even remember the words to the Star Spangled Banner. He said, “Give me more of them beers n’ trucks, dude!” I took pity on him and let him go. Through my abundance of cameras, I heard Captain America call Iron Man and say, “Hey man, I’m comin’ home. You wanna go to the Florida Georgia Line concert?” From what I hear, even my arch-nemesis Mr. Fantastic hasn’t had any success in restoring Captain America’s sanity. Hmm… I think I know how to take over the world now…
What’s that? What I just described is what is happening to millions of people every single day? Curses!
March 25, 2015 @ 11:04 am
It’s clobberin’ time!!
March 30, 2015 @ 5:02 am
How many times have I told you, Dr., that Captain America is my territory. Stick to taking care of the Fantastic Four.
Now have a great day and Hail Hydra!!!
March 24, 2015 @ 3:12 pm
Besides being a shitty song, it sounds like it was recorded on a phone. Not even an iPhone, or a Samsung, but one of those shitty burner flip phones you can only get at the 99 cent store or a swap meet.
March 24, 2015 @ 3:52 pm
Hey …that’s my phone you’re dissin’, dude !! Eight years – no issues , no repairs , no updates, upgrades, up-sales, …works like the day I got ‘er and fits in my knife pocket.
March 24, 2015 @ 7:14 pm
That’s all well and good as long as you don’t try to cut an album on it! 😀
March 24, 2015 @ 3:30 pm
Any Justin Moore song ever recorded meets “River Bank” without any of Paisley’s characteristic wit.
March 24, 2015 @ 4:51 pm
wow country music is getting crappier every week with bad songs.
March 24, 2015 @ 5:00 pm
Meh. I’ve heard worse. I’m not gonna pile on, that’s too easy. Is it good? Nope. Is it a travesty? Methinks not.
The only thing that makes this rant-worthy is the Bones connection. And we really should be more angered at the dumb masses who hang on his every word.
March 24, 2015 @ 5:01 pm
$400 coolers are perfect for storing your lop ass coors light. Kinda makes them blue mountains useless cause you know them shits is cold as fuck in that boutique cooler. Gucci-billy. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!
March 24, 2015 @ 5:05 pm
This upsets me. Saw him play years back, opening for Skynyrd and Hank Jr I believe. Maybe it’s because I was young (and the whole bro country thing hadn’t really shown up yet) but I remember him being pretty good. Nothing incredible, but a helluva lot better than “buy me a boat”. Hell, I remember him having a much higher pitched voice, not that “forcing a shit” sound that You here in this song. When I see an opening act that’s good, I always hope their music works out for them. But not when they stoop down to this…
March 24, 2015 @ 8:27 pm
My guess is he probably was pretty good when you saw him open.
March 24, 2015 @ 5:14 pm
It was a bit clever and self-aware at times, but mostly all I could hear was a desperate singer begging for a hit.
March 24, 2015 @ 6:00 pm
Man trigger, I saw this guy at the Opry last year and he was lights out awesome. Worked the crowd and had them engaged. I thought this guy along w Mo Pitney was gonna turn mainstream country back into something halfway tolerable. I hate this is the song he breaks out with as bobby bones endorses it. Unfreakenbelievable
March 24, 2015 @ 8:24 pm
I’ve never seen him at the Opry, but I’ve heard him a few times while listening, and frankly I was a little surprised to hear a song like this coming from him. I think he’s got something, but the question is, which way does he want to break with his career? He’s going to need to answer that question very soon, or he risks alienating both sides.
March 24, 2015 @ 9:40 pm
I saw him at the Opry last Friday night, and I’m not going to lie I was blown away with his performance, I went to see Holly Williams and Steep Canyon Rangers but was very surprised to see him perform the way he did, very talented and his harmonica playing was unbelievable. Larry Gatlin introduced him and told us that the song was number one just that day, and I wasn’t impressed with the song at all, but he sang “Holding Her” which I thought was really good and brought the crowd to their feet. I am really pulling for this guy, hope he finds a country way, I think he can do some great things. Btw, Holly Williams was spectacular! Good piece Trigger, I’m just not ready to put him away and give up on him yet.
March 25, 2015 @ 1:21 am
On his most recent blog post, Byron Fay said he thinks the Opry is hoping Janson will become a mainstream success, and are grooming him to ultimately become an Opry member, the way they did for Brad Paisley and Josh Turner early in their careers.
March 24, 2015 @ 8:12 pm
If you think this song is bad, listen to “Love you like that” by Canaan Smith. This song has every bro country element imaginable. Unfortunatley i predict it will be a big hit.
March 25, 2015 @ 11:01 am
Wasn’t that a John Michael Montgomery/All-4-One song?
March 25, 2015 @ 11:03 am
Yes, but it’s not the same song. Just the same title.
March 25, 2015 @ 12:31 pm
Gotcha. Sort of like how “Hey Bartender” isn’t the Johnny Lee song and “Day Drinkin'” isn’t the Tom T. Hall/Dave Dudley song.
March 24, 2015 @ 9:00 pm
Wow what a crap of a song. I heard a lot worse which was Miranda lambert “Little Red Wagon”. Country music is very embaressing.
March 24, 2015 @ 9:58 pm
I was Brandon, but I’ll use my middle name since there are so many Brandons on here. Now that we’ve cleared that up…
I’m pretty sure Chris Jansen was the douchebag at last year’s Delta Country Jam singing Thrift Shop or whatever (I don’t keep up with pop). There was even some bald headed Mackelmore wannabe in his band rapping the verses with inhuman atrociousness. It was the most horrible musical experience of my life. He did like one halfway decent song, but the others were either straight up Bro-Country, or horrible pop songs with no attempts at being country whatsoever. He was the worst performer those whole 3 days, which is saying something. They openly admitted it was a pop festival, and played pop/rap songs between performances. Scotty McGreery was the only performer to rebel and sing some real country. He sang Hank’s “Hey Good Lookin'” as well as songs by Cash, Waylon, and George Strait, with steel guitars blaring. Only Dierks sounding as good, and I’d seen him before.
March 25, 2015 @ 1:08 am
Back in 1999 Kenny Rogers sang ”Buy me a rose” and now this. I expect in 15 years FGL (or Luke or Sam) will record ” Buy me a plane” (you fans made me so rich and i want more)
March 25, 2015 @ 5:02 am
I’d don’t do religion but I might have to concede that there really is an Antichrist and his name is Bobby Bones.
March 25, 2015 @ 7:29 am
Bobby Bones “discovering” new “talent” is as contrived as calling Justin Moore an outlaw…
March 25, 2015 @ 8:36 am
Lighten up Francis. Its a light hearted entertaining song. Don’t like it….don’t listen to it. Its not that hard!
July 2, 2015 @ 8:59 pm
Sgt Hulka?
March 25, 2015 @ 8:38 am
You have to wonder about guys like Chris Janson. He is so desperate to make it on country radio that he would release a complete cliché song that will be forgotten by next summer like most Brad Paisley songs. I hate songs like this….River Bank sucks too. I really think Brad Paisley sucks too. If Brad Paisley would spend more time not trying to cool, he might actually be relevant again. Sorry the Paisley hate.
March 25, 2015 @ 10:10 am
I saw this guy at Jamboree in the Hills a few years back. He can really go to town on the harmonica… He had some decent songs, some awful, but he seemed to have the “it factor” as an entertainer. I actually kind of enjoyed him even if the music wasnt the best I’ve heard. I used “Truck Yeah” as a chance to take a piss.
I think if he got ahold of the right song he could be good, if gets the wrong songs he could be dangerous as he is very likable .
March 25, 2015 @ 2:27 pm
And poor Bobby actually believes that he gets it.
March 25, 2015 @ 4:08 pm
all music should be heartfelt and serious. There is no room in this world for a light hearted fun ditty….just kidding. Some I like, some I don’t. Didn’t listen to this. I prefer Isbell type writing, but get almost as much enjoyment reading all the serious dissecting of what sounds like a song someone just threw together for fun, and not to change the face of music. Keep banging your head against the wall, maybe one day the blows will have a little more space between them.
March 25, 2015 @ 5:02 pm
Somebody should buy him a singing coach.
March 25, 2015 @ 8:30 pm
I just left a job where I was a country DJ. I did so for several reasons, but this fucking music was a big one. One of the most liberating things is that I no longer have to listen to or follow country radio. Don’t even have any country stations on my radio presets anymore. Whenever I travel its CDs, classic hits radio or satellite radio. The best solution to all this is to just quit listening. When commercial radio goes the way of newspapers, CRT televisions and VCRs, then maybe they will learn.
March 26, 2015 @ 8:22 pm
This is the first time I’ve heard the over-produced auto-tuned single version, but I somewhat enjoyed the version he’s been performing for months on the Opry.
March 30, 2015 @ 5:05 am
I ain’t gonna lie. The fact that Bobby Bones exists makes me question my belief from time to time that there is a God.
That is because I truly believe a just and loving God would not allow this kind of shit to go down!!
April 30, 2015 @ 5:44 am
This article is so well written a true country song could be crafted from it! It’s sad to me that there are great country artist out there writing and singing some Vern Gosden/George Jones country but some yahoo gets a record deal with this junk. When I first heard it ( and once was enough) I thought “what a stupid song”. Who out there is promoting real country music? Or is real about to be gone?
May 8, 2015 @ 8:31 am
Can I just say that I am in love with each and every one of the commenters. They are a perfect combination of truth, common sense, honesty, and civility. And even though there is (some) disagreement, no one is calling anyone else names.
My dad hates FGL too. They played our fair right after they blew up and he was appalled. I didn’t go.
Thank you for making my day. Makes me want to go home and visit my parents.
May 17, 2015 @ 1:40 am
Anyone saying this is a shitty song is a idiot! Oh OK so country is about losing things? What about dreams? Country is about hard times and wanting things to be better and being stuck in your ways and yes losing your best love…so he has a song about being a dumb redneck that would like something better and its cliche? I bet everyone on here would not turn down a big inheritance! If you work hard and would turn this down please tell me why!
May 20, 2015 @ 9:08 am
Not that I love this song, but it’s not like “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” has incredible depth either. And, this is coming from a huge George fan. Not every song has to solve the meaning of life. That being said, if his whole album (once released) is filled with similar light subject matter, then I would agree that he presents a problem.
May 24, 2015 @ 4:06 pm
Do you guys ever get tired of taking a crap on creativity? I read your drivel and think, wow country music has evolved cause it had to. Even Jamey Johnson sold out to make a buck. He wrote honky tonk badonkadonk. They all have to support kids and sell to the lowest common denominator. Kids! And Hillbillys that wanna be rich.
May 25, 2015 @ 8:47 am
whoever wrote this article is an idiot.
May 29, 2015 @ 7:37 pm
I don’t know about all of you but the song makes me smile. So does Billy Currington’s stuff. So what? It ain’t real country, more like pop but I smiled. Isn’t that what music is supposed to do?
May 29, 2015 @ 9:12 pm
My, don’t we all have our noses in the air over here! The comments about “Buy Me a Boat” remind me of when Pat Green came on the scene and all the uppity people screamed “But he hasn’t paid his dues, how can he sing songs about being on the road and not making it in Nashville,” etc. etc. You know what, if people like the music, who gives a ****! If you don’t like it, don’t buy it! I happen to love Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, Merle Haggard and tons of other traditional songwriters and performers, but if somebody comes on the scene with a different sound that I don’t like, it ain’t the end of the world. The artist will either make it or he won’t. And as for the author’s comment that “Buy Me a Boat” is only popular because Bobby Bones told people to buy it, BS. I never heard of Bobby Bones OR this website until today when I stumbled on this site. And I guess I will just stumble my dumb a** on down the road. Dang, sure wish I could afford to buy me a boat.
July 15, 2015 @ 12:27 pm
Agreed, and a truck to pull it. I also just stumbled onto this site and never heard of Bob Bones. I was looking up Buy Me a Boat to play it for a friend. I’m not a huge Country fan but I respect and enjoy listening to the greats. I first heard Buy Me a Boat while fishing with buddies and enjoyed listening. I can’t decide whether people don’t like the song or don’t like that Bobby Bones endorses it. I like it better than River Bank and Honey Bee, and just as much as Boys Round Here and Mud on the Tires.
May 30, 2015 @ 7:07 pm
The song has become pretty popular even with all of these negative comments. It looks like your opinions don’t really matter do they. Chris is making money, and people are having fun listening to it. It is just a song not a philosophy.
June 5, 2015 @ 11:47 am
I discovered Chris Janson yesterday on the Today Show performance.
The guy draws you in. His enthusiasm was catchy.
I came to this site to investigate.
The band is okay, upbeat. The song I thought was safe, cliche, corny for Country.
I know nothing from Country music, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, McGraw, etc. that’s it.
He’s new, Hope he finds some edge to bring something New to the platform….
Look at Shania, worked for how long before she made it?
Time is all….
June 7, 2015 @ 2:12 am
Ok here’s the thing.. Some of these “hip hop” country artists aren’t bad.. But they need to admit to themselves that it isn’t country.. Great so someone started a new genre of music, it happens once in a while we will live but don’t go and get rid of traditional country music because there’s a new style out there the older artists need to stick to their roots. All these new hip hop country people are making it harder for guys like me to get anywhere because all I write is more traditional country. I’m not going to roll over and start writing and playing songs because that’s all country music stations play.. Make it a new genre and continue to play the good country and let it be.
June 10, 2015 @ 6:20 pm
This song isn’t anywhere NEAR “hiphop country” or what I call “Rural Rap.” It just isn’t. It’s far more country than most “Bro” songs too (other than some loops/programming, it doesn’t have much of a bro hallmark either).
June 29, 2015 @ 6:06 pm
Yeah, and it’s a misnomer to even call country-rap “hip hop,” as the term hip hop is at least as much about the culture as it is about the music.
Lauryn Hill and R. Kelly make hip hop, but not rap. Iggy Azalea “raps,” but she’s certainly not making hip hop.
June 14, 2015 @ 12:50 pm
I think everyone is reading way too much into a fun summer song. Not everything has to be deep and meaningful.
June 14, 2015 @ 4:45 pm
SERIOUSLY!! I understand constructive criticism…. But art is for CREATIVE people and it requires imagination AS WELL AS finding your audience. Chris OBVIOUSLY saw an audience that would appreciate his TONE. There are millions of writers that span every genre…. From movies, plays, music, book, Broadway, and stand-up comedy. ALL HAVE ONE PURPOSE…… ENTERTAINMENT! If this song is popular, which it is, give credit where it’s due. No one… Including Bobby Bones, can make a song become a hit. Some people find it funny; some find it catchy, some just daydream …. But that’s the point of ANY type of art. Like it or don’t, but bashing creativity and that is WORKING… For whatever reason…. Just shows that there are still too many small minds out there wanting to have a voiice…..
You can never know intent behind a project, only watch the results. He is having good results…. Do you know judge society or just really believe Bobby is THAT POWERFUL…. get real people.
June 15, 2015 @ 8:38 am
I saw Chris Janson this weekend at the Opry along with my daughters. I am 55 and they are in their 20’s. I personally applaud this man. You don’t get a number one hit unless listeners love your music. I loved his voice, his energy, his personality and his performance. I hope Chris Janson continues to have success to super stardom. He has our support. If you are reading this Chris Janson, we love your music and you have our support.
June 15, 2015 @ 8:42 am
“You don”™t get a number one hit unless listeners love your music.”
Or the biggest DJ in country music plays it five times in a row and tasks his audience to purchase it in droves (see above).
Hey, if you like the song and Chris Janson, more power to you. But let’s not fool ourselves into what happened here.
June 15, 2015 @ 5:19 pm
I don’t know who Bobby Bones is or what he had to say, but the first time I heard this so-called-stupid song I loved it and downloaded it. I don’t know who Chris Janson is for that matter either. Nobody influenced me but my own ears. I love it. The only thing stupid is the person that wrote this article.
June 26, 2015 @ 5:41 am
At least somebody knows good music when they have heard it.
June 21, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
Whole lot of haters on here. I don’t know what “real country” is and I don’t pretend to. I’m not going to get all hipster hating on everything that isn’t hank jr. or some idealized version of the golden yesteryears though. Lots of country definitely has a pop vibe to it these days. I’m not crazy about all of it, but I’m not going to write them off because they aren’t a ranch hand turned bull rider turned country singer either. There are plenty of “pop” country songs I enjoy hearing on the radio, and some I don’t. I don’t need everything to be down home authentic for it to be easy to listen to and put a smile on my face. Relax, and stop taking the songs, and yourselves, so seriously.
June 26, 2015 @ 5:39 am
Trigger knows nothing about country music or grammar.
July 15, 2015 @ 12:36 pm
Some could argue whoever thinks FGL is the best also knows nothing about country music lol
June 26, 2015 @ 5:46 am
Until you get a hit song, you can stop making fun of people who make a hell of a lot more money than you do.
July 5, 2015 @ 8:09 pm
How is this any worse than I Like My Women Just a Little on the Trashy Side, You Met Another and Pllt You Was Gone, or A Boy Named Sue??
July 12, 2015 @ 1:09 pm
I listen in the mornings to BB because the other station doesn’t play very good music, but he sucks, this song sucks, Amy is a whiny sniveling little princess and lunchbox is an idiot! I onky have two stations here. I’m moving, soon, and that will hopefully be a positive change!
July 13, 2015 @ 1:59 pm
Ok let’s get something clear and clear up people’s ignorance to music. What makes country music is not the lyrics. All genres sing or rap about similar things whether it be love , heartache , drinking , getting stoned , boats , cars, trucks, girls, guys and so on. What seperates one genre from another is presentation. That is why it is called music! Not lyrics. Country music should have a country music sound as it always did until it was flooded by music executives and artist from other genres. Some things are meant to be seperated. Music is one that way we have a choice of what genre we like. Country music radio today should be called music radio because it sounds like country, rock, pop, rap, r&b , jazz and blues. When I turn it on I sometimes have check to see if I’m on a country station. I am a huge lover of traditional country music . I’m a Hank Sr and Jr fan , Merle Haggard , George Jones, Conway Twitty, and so on yall get my drift. With that said I love this song Chris Janson has put out I think it’s cool and if ya want to rant over stuff that doesn’t have a country sound go after Sam Hunt . That dude is an amazing singer but has no business coming through the speakers of my radio when I’m tuned into a country station. When and if I were to turn over on a pop station I would be like wow this dude is great. It’s a whole like ordering a steak and they bring you out chicken instead . I want to hear a country sound on country radio and folks (I could buy me a boat ) is a country sound with a few little modern day twist on it but for the most part it’s country. I love it ! Great job Chris Janson #chrisjanson #briankelleycountry@gmail.com
July 21, 2015 @ 2:49 pm
You guys make me sick! Have you done any research on him? You don’t know anything thing and can you play guitar or sing? I play all instruments and sing and grew up on classic country, rock and pop and I saw the video at a buddy’s and was instantly drawn to the song. This dude is a class act and humble and wrote a song that went number one and will most likely Buy Him A Boat! You don’t have to like it but til you can do better and like I said research what kind of person he is you my friend are the one that needs to go away! He plays harmonica on Hank Williams Jr’s stuff and yes has played the Opry 100 times!!!
July 21, 2015 @ 9:46 pm
I love that song!!!! Maybe because I ain’t rich neither and work every day.. And sometimes when I’m working in the sun I tell myself and co-workers… Why can’t we just be rich??? So I feel I can relate…
July 23, 2015 @ 12:29 pm
How funny you people are! Anybody there work for a living? I heard “Buy Me a Boat” on the radio, and just wanted to look up the lyrics to tell my husband about it. Don’t remember looking up any of yours.
July 25, 2015 @ 12:24 pm
Up until now I was a big fan of savingcountrymusic.com and the individuals that wrote the articles. I am not ready to say that I no longer am I fan of SCM, but this write up must’ve been written by somebody who did absolutely no research on Chris Janson at all. I will agree that this track does fit the mold of what some fools believe is a new sub genre called Bro Country. If Bro Country is songs about trucks, girls, drinking, partying, sex, etc.”¦ then bro country has been around for decades!
Example”¦
Joe Diffie “pick up man” (about trucks)
Garth Brooks “ain’t going down till the sun comes up” (about partying all night)
The King George Strait “the firemen” (about sleeping with multiple women all over town)
Brooks and Dunn “hillbilly deluxe” (about girls, partying, AND trucks)
Even the original Outlaw did it…Waylon Jennings “Chevy van” (about SEX with a GIRL that has LONG TAN LEGS, in his VAN)
although I do agree bro country is not real country, I agree for different reasons. Artists in the past saying about the lives they actually live. Artist today saying about lives they think will sell tracks. It is the frosted tips smoking Mears spray tan version of country music.
Chris Jansen absolutely does NOT fit that description. If you would’ve taken a little bit of time to do some research you would find that not only are Chris Jansen’s lyrics about his life but he is one of the hardest working most genuine artists in Nashville. Since you elected to judge the Chris Jansen book by its cover, I will educate you on who Chris Jansen is free of charge. I plead with you to please take a few minutes to watch these videos I’m sharing with you so you don’t sound so ignorant next time you write an article. No thanks needed here we go….
You’re more than welcome to watch or 15 minutes and 31 seconds of this video but to expedite your learning process I would recommend you fast-forward to eight minutes and 30 seconds in and watch from there. If you can name one other artist that has done what he’s done after watching this clip and then you win and I will apologize. Since there isn’t one I will continue
|
http://youtu.be/HY919qzYoBU
This truck is about where he came from and how being considered white trash almost affected his life and in turn taught a father not everything is as it seems
July 25, 2015 @ 12:37 pm
Continued from previous….
http://youtu.be/ughKOgoVE4M
This next track is about how he met his wife, proposed, and had his daughter and how that changed his life
http://youtu.be/GlkefiTKfQw
Just one more. Video was filmed why he performed at the Grand Ol Opry
http://youtu.be/c2DGTkYLT8w
Next time you comment on the artists integrity and character make sure you do your homework. Chris Janson is as real as it gets and one of the most talented artists in this genre. I’m not so much mad as I am disappointed in the quality of work that you just put out.
July 25, 2015 @ 2:11 pm
Derek,
If you were a “big fan” of Saving Country Music, then you would know there’s only one person writing articles here. And if you think that the people labeling some music as “Bro-Country” are “fools,” then I don’t think you have your finger on what makes a site like Saving Country Music tick. So though I appreciate you sharing your opinion, which I felt was passionate and persuasive, I’m not sure I buy into you’re characterization of your knowledge and frequency of this site.
As for, “Next time you comment on the artists integrity and character make sure you do your homework,” I didn’t have anything to say about either of those things, I just said I didn’t care for this song, which I don’t. It’s an opinion. I shared mine, and now you have shared yours. They can be different, and that’s okay.
July 25, 2015 @ 3:10 pm
Well said. Much appreciated
July 31, 2015 @ 8:06 pm
Opinions are like assholes everyone has one.. hope it does make him rich so he can shut this Shit up. .
August 4, 2015 @ 6:46 pm
Hes saying he doesnt care about money but it can…. buy him a boat … hes on a bass boat not a sea doo its a fishing boat in case u didnt know dumb ass article
August 19, 2015 @ 7:11 am
Where is the writers name? Who wrote this column?
Why are simple songs bad songs?
(ever tried to write something like it? It’s harder then writing ‘intellectual’ stuff)
Is it a crime to like such ‘bad’ songs? Or is it uncool? Not done? Can Chris Janson buy a boat?
Does it make people happy and cheerful?
Is the writer a very good songwriter himself? Of did he sell more records?
tssssss
September 12, 2015 @ 1:25 pm
Should look this guy up. He has some really good songs. Yes people might not like it cause of his perspective of music but he has one. Hell of a voice for real. Should check out his grand ole opry song. Man can sing
September 18, 2015 @ 3:05 pm
Sounds like a bunch of artsy fartsy fans commenting negatively because nobody wants to listen to their high level art. Sometimes people that make something that non artists want to hear, make a good bit of money at it. I like the tune and do not care if did not come from an edeucated music back ground. Harry Potter was not Shakespeare, but man did people want to read it.
September 25, 2015 @ 11:05 am
I HAVE NEVER LISTEN TO BOBBY BONES AND NO ONE TOLD ME TO LOVE THIS SONG… BUT I DO! I TOO AM TIRED OF WORKING MY ASS OFF EVERYDAY AND STILL NOT BEINGING ABLE TO BUY ME A BOAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 25, 2015 @ 7:21 pm
I was in the “music business” back in the 1970’s. My reading this commentary is a less than pleasant flash back to those days.
You can evaluate a song and a musician on any scale you happen to select. Was there a note that was “flat”? Did you hear a lyric that sounded like something from another song or a guitar lick that you just know was “stolen” from another song???
There’s an old saying with musicians. “There is no “H”. It is impossible to write a piece of music that, in the tradition of American music does not use notes used before.
This song is 100% legitimate because so many people hear it and love it.
DKJ
October 15, 2015 @ 1:44 pm
This is a good song. Not every song is meant to be picked apart and taken seriously. Sometimes it’s just about having fun which the author probably never does. Don’t know what u got against chris janson but get over it he’s gonna be popular
October 28, 2015 @ 3:37 pm
Wow! What pompous drivel pouring from your pen! it’s a fun tune. Not everything has to be Patsy Cline perfection.
Dick
January 15, 2016 @ 11:49 am
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA anyone who says Chris Janson isn’t real country obviously hasn’t bought his CD. All you haters, especially the writer of this article, need to stop bashing people for making music just because your poor ass taste in music doesn’t like it. And thats coming from a fan of everything Hank Williams to Merle Haggard to Luke Bryan. “Buy Me a Boat” is a fantastic song lyrically and melodically, coming from an actual NASHVILLE SONGWRITER here folks. I’d love to see all of you write a “COUNTRY” song better than Chris Janson’s “Buy Me a Boat”!
February 16, 2016 @ 11:55 pm
In response to the author: youre a fool. And so are all you people agreeing with him here in the comments. First off i dont listen to the radio much because id rather save myself from the commercials and all that good s**t. And as for florida georgia line, i can see why you wouldnt care for em, i dont much either, but to compare chris janson to them from one song is the most absurd thing ever. Not to mention completly wrong. And ive also seen someone in the comments say something about how “buy me a boat” is riddled with auto-tune, i dont know if youre quite sure what that is. Because anyone with mild ear training could tell you that you are WRONG. And back to the author, you say ‘who wouldnt want to be rich’ but then you bash on someone for expressing that feeling. Thats a big load of hypocritical horses**t. You just openly expressed that you wish you were rich. Like janson did. Honestly when i read this article all i can think of is that the author is either a wanna be “country boy” or “gal” who is amazingly jealous of chris janson for making his name with a song that he wishes that he had wrote or just a guy raggin on someone he knows nothing about because hes got nothin better to do. Country music aint always about love and hard work yall. Its a way of life. And if you are one of these idjits that are talkin trash about a guy for singin a song about wantin money and a boat, what the hell is wrong with you? Dont you? So if you dont like it then dont listen to it. But dont act like some yuppee libtard and talk trash about how hes a no talent, wanna be country, auto-tune using pop singer who cares only about money. Its a good song and hes a good player. And if you dont agree, thats fine but give credit where credit is due. Hes made his name in a business that is unforgiving to say the least.
February 25, 2016 @ 10:05 pm
This author is a jealous, hipocritical, asshat! I’ve seen Chris Janson preform live, and he is very talented to say the least. Blake Shelton must think so too, he is opening for Blake on tour now. Go crawl back into the hole you came out of!
October 3, 2017 @ 12:35 pm
This so-called “reviewer” needs remedial writing lessons. Not sure what’s more embarrassing, his third grade sentence structure or his inane drivel. About all I get is that he’s jealous of Janson and resentful of Bones. Congrats asshat of making a fool of yourself!