Brantley Gilbert, ‘Country Must Be Country Wide’ – Lyrics Uncovered

Country music doesn't stop south of the Mason Dixon, and it's not limited to the Bible Belt -- something Brantley Gilbert learned with his own two eyes. While out on tour with Colt Ford, the Georgia native realized that he'd been stereotyping states all along based on their geography, and that actually, 'Country Must Be Country Wide.'

Gilbert's no newcomer -- he penned Jason Aldean's 'Dirt Road Anthem' and 'My Kinda Party.' Now, it's time to earn himself a spot on the charts as a singer and a songwriter. In this rockin' single, he teaches not to judge a book by its cover, even though he didn't always follow that rule.

"Grew up south of the Mason Dixon / Workin', spittin', huntin' and fishin' / Stone cold country by the grace of god / I was gassing up the other day / An ol' boy pulled up with a license plate from Ohio / Thought, 'Oh, good Lord, he's lost' / From his wranglers to his boots / He reminded me of Chris LeDoux / And that Copenhagen smile," Gilbert sings in the lyrics of the opening verse, before leading into the chorus, which acknowledges that every state has a little hidden twang.

"It mainly talks about how I was out on tour when Colt Ford and I wrote the song," Gilbert explains to Taste of Country. "Colt and I were talking about the places we'd been traveling. You know, I always felt the south was country, but we were traveling farther and farther north and northwest and there were country people up there too! We're a little bit of country critics. I guess that's how it's written," he says with a laugh.

Even though most Californians will never know the goodness of Tennessee sweet tea, and a lot of Jersey folk may never taste fresh fried okra, country lives on in the hearts of true country fans. By the end of the catchy tune, there's no doubt in Gilbert's mind, and we're convinced, too: country must be country wide.

Watch the Brantley Gilbert 'Country Must Be Country Wide' Video