A closer look at Zac Brown Band's lyrics reveals that the group is much more than talented musicians and beach bums. Brown and his bandmates have written most of their biggest hits, which often show incredible understanding for life's nuances. There is the heartbreak of missing a chance to see one's lover and the sorrow of being forced to leave your child behind after every weekend -- all make up Zac Brown Band's best lyrics.

  • Atlantic Records
    Atlantic Records
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    'No Hurry'

    "When I must return / To the cold cold ground / Have 'em take their time / When they lay this sinner down"

    The secret to Zac Brown Band's success is that their slow pace has a purpose. This isn't a song about being lazy, it's a message that reminds fans to enjoy the moment: Quit rushing through life, because our time on Earth is limited. James Otto helped the ZBB writing team with this Top 5 hit from 2012.

  • Amazon.com
    Amazon.com
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    'Colder Weather'

    "And when I close my eyes I see you / No matter where I am / I can smell your perfume through these whispering pines / I'm with your ghost again"

    'Colder Weather' is a wonderfully sad love story about a man who is missing his woman. He's traveling too much to spend significant time with her, and when he can, obstacles pop up like road blocks. The ZBB writing team built this song one word at a time in order to create a vision that you can feel -- and almost smell and taste.

  • Atlantic/Live Nation
    Atlantic/Live Nation
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    'Chicken Fried'

    "There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind / This I've come to know / So if you agree, have a drink with me / Raise your glasses for a toast / To a little bit of chicken fried"

    The 'Chicken Fried' lyrics came long before country fans would fall in love with it in mid-2008. The track began as little more than a feel good song about hanging with buddies on the weekend before Wyatt Durrette added some southern flair. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Brown added the third verse.

  • Southern Ground Artists
    Southern Ground Artists
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    'Goodbye in Her Eyes'

    "Sometimes I feel like a clown / Who can't wash off his make-up / The life she wanted, it was gone / Prince Charming, I wasn't"

    Is this the saddest of Zac Brown Band's singles? While the No. 1 song on this list may be more difficult for single parents to listen to, Brown's breakup story is one fans of every kind can relate to. Newcomer Sonia Leigh helped Brown and company pen this No. 1 from 2012.

  • Atlantic Records
    Atlantic Records
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    'Highway 20 Ride'

    "So I drive / And I think about my life / And wonder why I'll slowly die inside / Everytime I turn that truck around, right at the Georgia line / And I count the days and the miles back home to you / On that Highway 20 ride"

    Brown and Durette tell the story of a father driving to drop off and pick up his son every weekend because the parents are now divorced. The ballad is a genuine account of what that feels like, especially the part where Brown wonders how he'll talk about the divorce with his son when the boy is older. 'Highway 20 Ride' reached No. 1 in 2010 and remains one of the group's finest ballads to date.

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