“Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day”
Luke Bryan
Written by Rhett Akins, Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, and Ben Hayslip
Any singer or songwriter attempting to write the definitive country pride anthem needs to take one long look at this title and walk away.
It’s been done. We’ve got the definitive version of this ongoing theme now. And you know what? It’s a pretty good record, too. An “A Country Boy Can Survive” without the undercurrent of cynicism, paranoia and racism, if you will.
Part of Luke Bryan’s appeal is that he truly is the country boy that he portrays, and his enthusiasm for that lifestyle always comes through. He’s so earnest, so sincere, and so himself.
That makes a song title that could’ve been ripped from the pages of The Onion become something more substantial and worthwhile, a statement not just of pride but of deep gratitude for where he comes from and where he wants to remain.
“Huntin, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day” doesn’t romanticize this simple life. It simply says, “Thank You” for it. I suspect with Bryan’s essential humility and good nature, he’d be singing the same thing about life in New York City, if that’s where he was born and raised. Some people just have the gratitude gene.
I didn’t think I ever needed to hear another country boy anthem again. I was wrong.
Grade: A
I like Luke Bryan personally yet have always found his music a hit or miss, some of it downright awful but some of it of quality and enjoyable. By my count, there are fewer examples in the latter than in the former category. However, this is one of his more stellar singles. I agree with Kevin, this recording merits an A.
Wow I mentioned this song as my guiltiest of pleasures in terms of country music last week and then it gets a single review and a pretty good one at that. I agree with the review though. When Bryan does the midtempo stuff, it sounds great. This actually reminds me of my other favorite song of his, Tailgate Blues. It’s when he goes full frontal bro country that I find annoying.
Thanks for the review.
I don’t doubt Luke’s sincerity but I just can’t relate to the song. I never had any desire to hunt or fish. Growing up in Queens, my outdoor activities were mainly stickball and basketball, although I was never very good at either.
…Is this a joke review? I seriously can’t tell. It isn’t as obviously sarcastic as past joke reviews, but at the same time I can’t believe it’s being serious.
Also, (again, I’m unsure if this is possibly part of the joke) how is “Country Boy Can Survive” at all racist?
At this point, it comes down a matter of believability for me.
I still hold that Luke Bryan’s debut album was pretty darn great. Revisiting it, it shows a performer who’s obviously very unpolished and not quite ready for the spotlight but with so much enthusiasm and wide-eyed wonder in his voice that he comes across as just sincere enough to stick the landing on even the most corny of material. But after that album, things just sank like a stone.
I can no longer buy Luke Bryan as the proud country boy who just wants to live a simple, subsistence lifestyle. If this song had come out five or six years ago, I might have given him somewhat of a pass. But despite the chorus-driven guitar tone and organic production, I just can’t like this. It feels so phony; especially that bit about “I’ll be knee deep in the Muckalee” along with yet another reference to the Flint River and that gag inducing spoken part “Let’s go there in our minds.”
I mean, come on. Luke Bryan point-blank assured us on that first album that he would “make it easy” and “stay [himself].” He has done anything but that in my mind. And now he expects me to believe that nothing ever changed. But at this point, he’s released one-too many terrible singles for me to hear his material the same way ever again.
Keith – “Country Boy Can Survive” can easily be seen as saying urban life (i.e. filled with minorities) is all robbery and knife violence.
Luke’s “We Rode In Trucks” was a country boy anthem that i really liked but i don’t care much for this one. To me this one isn’t as well written as “Trucks” was, especially the chorus, and the vocal lacks a little feeling to my ears. That being said anytime a Luke single has a pleasantly understated production and makes no mention of a girl tailgate dancing it’s a positive in my book.
Grade C+/B-
I mean, it’s fine, which is more than I can say about most of Luke’s recent output.
There really just isn’t a whole lot there, though.