We take you behind the scenes and explore the making of one of our favorite tunes with The Song Remembers When…
In 2015, Keith Urban released the first single from his Ripcord album. “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” was something that Keith road-tested prior to releasing it to radio. He played it acoustically that year for programmers during the Country Radio Seminar. The response he got was a factor in it becoming a single.
Written by Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Ross Copperman, Keith said that it was the title that grabbed him. He was curious to hear what it was all about. By the third listen, he’d picked up his guitar and was playing along.
Songwriter Shane McAnally said that the idea was born from that push and pull teenagers feel. When he was growing up, John Cougar Mellencamp’s music represented that sexual tension young teenagers felt, John Deere was what kids saw their parents do for a living, and John 3:16, was all about growing up in the church.
“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” was certified platinum and reached inside the Top 5, landing at number two, in September 2015.