Scattershot social commentary, too wide in scope and too narrow in perspective.
Here’s how it works:
Let’s list a lot of bad things, then say “that’s why I pray” after every three or four cialis professional no prescription of them are rattled off. Do A, then B. Repeat until you’ve got a four minute song. Leave space for a musical bridge to nowhere.
It doesn’t work. Their plodding harmonies and the lifeless production make their list of concerns sound more like talking points than a prayer list. It’s disappointing, especially since they’ve used religious imagery so potently in the past, specifically on tracks from their debut album like “Holy Water” and “Live This Life.”
Then again, that was before Big & Rich became BIG & RICH! The talent is still in there somewhere, but they’ve either run out of genuine things to say or they’ve completely forgotten how to say them effectively through song.
Written by Sarah Buxton, Blair Daly, and Danelle Leverett
Grade: D
Listen: That’s Why I Pray
I’ve never even gotten around to hearing this song until now. Yeah… pretty lame. Then again, what can you expect when one of the songwriters is a JaneDear Girl?
I agree that it does seem a little formulaic, but I do like the chorus of it at least. I might have given it a C.
I agree, this song just isn’t very exciting. This definitely doesn’t live up to “Live This Life”. “Live” had a more interesting melody, more beautiful harmonies, and those lyrics. I rarely get much out of lyrics, but “Live This Life” did it for me.
The most puzzling thing for me is that, with two guys who have earned respect for their songwriting chops, they picked THIS to record. Just not a John Rich fan anyway, but this makes me even less excited for their return, not more. At least they had the group to fall back on when their solo gigs fizzled.
Can’t argue with your rating. I’m not much of a B&R fan but my favorites include “Faster Than Angels Fly”, written by Billy Henderson and John Phillips, and “8th of November” which B&R wrote.
To this day, I’m amazed they never released “Live This Life” as a single.
Complete agreement on the rating for this song. I’m a B&R fan, and to me this is the third-worst single they’ve released (behind “Comin’ to Your City” and “Loud”).
I’m just not a B&R fan in general. The deliberately atonal harmonies just sound bad to me. They haven’t had a hit single in some years now, so to trot out this laundry list of sorrows and then refrain it with “That’s Why I Pray” sounds like a primer on how to write a meaningless, mercenary, country megahit. It SEEMS to be profound, but it’s actually incredibly cynical.
This faux piety is, to me, the second worst commercial gimmick in country music. The worst, of course, is Rural Pride Rural Pride Rural Pride!!! And we can’t forget the hyper-patriotic anthem songs that, mercifully, have simmered down lately (with the exception of a certain artist whose first name starts with Toby).
Any time I can smell the insincerity, it’s offensive. This song reeks of it.