2000 | Peak: #1
Age forty is still seen as more of a milestone, but age thirty might be the best place to neatly divide your life.
McGraw captures that feeling of settling in to who you're going to be, and the growing confidence that you're really an adult and that you've somewhat established yourself.
Suddenly, you look back on the ridiculous things you've done in your twenties with amusement and appreciation, like you're looking back on a different person who you're quite fond of but can no longer completely relate to. It's a moment in time when you've gathered your necessary life skills and still have enough energy to put them to use.
Who could be a better vehicle for this song than McGraw? He was 32 when he recorded it, and was enjoying unparalleled success at country radio, while also starting a family with fellow superstar Faith Hill. “My Next Thirty Years” was his twelfth #1 single in only seven years, and his seventh to spend four weeks or more at #1, a run absolutely unheard of in the modern era of country radio.
He sings with the confidence of a man on the top of his game, completely unaware of the fact that he'd one day sing “Truck Yeah.”
Written by Phil Vassar
Grade: A
Next: Let's Make Love (with Faith Hill)
Previous: Some Things Never Change
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6CVJ3vPOMk
I didn’t hate that song — just found it rather boring. I would have preferred “Señorita Margarita” to be released as a single. TM sang it at the George Strait festival that year and I really liked it.
“My Next Thirty Years” is one of my favorite songs from McGraw. I also have the song by singer/songwriter Phil Vassar who included it on his greatest hits album as well as a few other songs he wrote or co-wrote but didn’t record before such as Jo Dee Messina’s “Bye Bye”. Liked your “Truck Yeah” comment.
Ha, the closing sentence got a chuckle out of me.
I like this song, even though I’m still a good ways away from being able to fully relate to it. I sometimes tend to think the melody and arrangement could use some added flavor, but it’s a strong and timeless lyric.
I’m with Ben – the last line made me laugh out loud.
Great song, full of Tim’s infectious delivery. Maybe that’s partly what made it so popular?
I’d be willing to bet that today’s male hit makers around this age (Luke Bryan, etc) would never touch a song like this. Because they would have to admit they were over 30.
Anyway, great review. I’ve always liked this song even though it’s never stuck out as one of his greatest to me.
Back when Tim McGraw was one of my favourite artists. Feels like thirty years ago now :(