Craig Morgan - “International Harvester”
This is a niche song if I ever heard one. Who’d have thought that you could write an entire song about the feeling a farmer gets blocking traffic while puttering down a country road on his tractor? While I’ve complained in the past about too many “slice of life” songs on country radio, I applaud the songwriters (Shane Minor, Danny Myrick, Jeffrey Steele) for this piece of work, because the key to a successful “slice of life” song is not trying to tackle too much. Here, the songwriters confine themselves to a manageable theme and paint a charming picture. Morgan’s thick contemporary twang is perfect for the lyric and his playful alliteration of “p-p-p-p-plower” delights. Fiddle and banjo provide a strong backing.
It will be interesting to see how this fares on country radio, as I’d guess that the current radio audience is composed of more people that get stuck behind tractors than farmers that drive them. It may be catchy enough to allow the evolving audience to embrace the down-home theme.
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37 Comments
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August 27, 2007 at 10:42 am Permalink
Finally, a song about the No. 1 reason I moved to the city. (Well, that and the dearth of professional opportunities afforded me in the country.)
August 27, 2007 at 11:49 am Permalink
Oh man, Matt, let me tell you, you were a lot more generous on this review than I would have been. I heard this a few days ago and passed on the review because this possibly the weirdest single I’ve ever heard.
It’s not a “bad” song so to speak, I guess, but I have no idea who thought releasing this to radio was a good idea.
August 27, 2007 at 12:01 pm Permalink
Jim, I felt the same way the first time I heard it. It grew on me with subsequent listens. The genre has always had off-the wall niche songs like this that glorify a certain lifestyle, and this is the first one I’ve heard in a while that didn’t rely heavily on “redneck” references (Craig’s own “Redneck Yacht Club” might be an example). Right now, I would expect artists/songwriters to write a song about farming and put one line in there about blocking traffic with a tractor in the midst of a million other loosely related thoughts. It’s nice to see someone embrace one idea and run with it.
August 30, 2007 at 3:16 pm Permalink
You should see Craig do this song live…the audience goes nuts over this song. A video was shot for the song a couple of months ago. Craig never fails to bring songs to the plate that are pleasant to the ears.
September 5, 2007 at 11:12 am Permalink
Well coming from a true blue country girl, this song is awesome! I love International Harvester tractors my husband and I restore and fix them on the side of farming, it’s nice to hear about IH for once over John Deere…lol. This song is a huge hit in our rural farm area (NE WI) because we all relate to it in many ways and we’re not far from the highway to get to some of our fields, I’m guessing city slickers cannot relate for the most part. This is definately a target audience song :)
September 21, 2007 at 7:16 pm Permalink
I’ve spent my share of time in the seat of an CaseIH tractor as well as a Ford and John Deere. I was born and raised on a tobacco farm , as well as growing corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, etc… I quit 3 years ago when the tobacco program changed, but farming will always be in my blood! This song somehow just puts me back in that tractor seat and in someway brings back memories to me that are now distant!
October 5, 2007 at 2:27 pm Permalink
I absolutely love this song! I’m a farmers daughter, was in 4H and FFA and I can relate so much to this song. Hearing makes me grin :-)
October 10, 2007 at 11:30 pm Permalink
I love this song! I’m a farmer and I was in 4H and I’m in the FFA and this song is my liff. Hearing makes me grin :-)
November 20, 2007 at 9:20 pm Permalink
I love this song! I’m in 4-H and can really relate to it. We don’t have to move equipment on the road often, but when we do it can be funny.
November 20, 2007 at 10:26 pm Permalink
Hey your song “international Harvester” is one of the best song i have heard in a long time i am in FFA and i am a sponser to lol it fun driving down the high way on a tractor well great job with your new song and good luck in the future
November 21, 2007 at 12:20 am Permalink
jim i would like to see you make a track this good maybe because you are a city slicker you dont understand this song and you city slickers are usually in a hurry to go no where
December 6, 2007 at 9:01 pm Permalink
i never thought you sung international harvster
because it does not sound like you…..!
December 9, 2007 at 8:34 pm Permalink
This is diffenetly my favorite song! I listen to it all the time!!!Case IH is awesome!!Great job craig!!!
December 11, 2007 at 10:46 am Permalink
Wow. I just comepletly love this song!! This song brings memories back to me because my boyfriend is just like this he doesnt drive tractors but be is really country I guess that is what South Carolina will do to you!! Represent GREEN SEA!! and oh yeah FFA is the best program you can be i when you are in school!!
December 21, 2007 at 10:36 am Permalink
Now a city transplant, this song brought me right back to sitting on the fender of daddy’s IH as we took to the roads from field to field. Oh yeah, 4-H for 10 years, State FFA officer, and I still know the FFA creed by heart 15 years later!
January 3, 2008 at 11:20 pm Permalink
I guess you don’t have to have grown up on a farm to enjoy this song, but it sure does help! My dad always said he was lucky none of his kids wanted to farm, and it’s been 40 years since I left, but man, does this song bring back the memories.
If you’re gonna complain about farmers, don’t talk with your mouth full!
January 23, 2008 at 7:29 am Permalink
This is the best song ever.I love this song
January 27, 2008 at 3:41 pm Permalink
I live in the city, but I love this song. It’s true! The beat is great! Jim, you are just a stuck-up guy.
January 27, 2008 at 8:55 pm Permalink
I hate this song it really strange and is pointless
February 26, 2008 at 2:58 pm Permalink
I listen to this song 5 times a day. I live by this song. I think someone should put a big sound system on a Internation Harvester and play that song going down the road.
February 26, 2008 at 3:10 pm Permalink
Not my favorite song but by FAR not the worse song either. They need to get Craig some more person-to-song recognition. He’s really that guy where people go “He sings that?… That too!? And that!?”
February 26, 2008 at 4:33 pm Permalink
I love the song but one problem… there is no plow on a combine??
March 3, 2008 at 6:18 pm Permalink
My son who is in the FFA, loves this son. Let me tell you what, I’d rather have him be happy this song is playin’ instead of the Rap Crap, most every other kid is listining to today. Good on ya’ Craig Morgan, keep ‘em coming! A very greatful mom in PA.
March 12, 2008 at 10:24 am Permalink
I love this song the first time i heard i like it. It is true about the tractor. my nephews always wants me to put it up when it goes on.. we love it and especially my boyfriend loves he had to buy the Cd right when it came out.
April 3, 2008 at 4:14 pm Permalink
IH Harvester Simply Rocks
April 5, 2008 at 11:40 am Permalink
This song is good. I got it in my head. I love this song.
April 12, 2008 at 4:36 pm Permalink
You Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
April 13, 2008 at 11:19 am Permalink
OK, this has been bugging me:
“I’m the son of a third generation farmer
I’ve been married 10 years to the farmer’s daughter”
Doesn’t that kinda make it sound like he’s married to his sister?
April 13, 2008 at 2:00 pm Permalink
Thank you, Timmy, for resurrecting this review, thereby providing Chris with the opportunity to chime in with that very disturbing contribution.
I will never hear this song the same way again…
April 13, 2008 at 2:10 pm Permalink
Glad to help.
April 13, 2008 at 4:02 pm Permalink
That’s always been in the back of my mind, but I’ve tried not to think about it, and hoped no one else would bring it up.
Oy …
April 13, 2008 at 6:45 pm Permalink
I guess the wrong article was used. The word “a” would have been better than “the”?
April 14, 2008 at 7:12 pm Permalink
The one that bugs me every time I hear “I Need You” is Faith and Tim both having an Uncle Joe in Oklahoma. Is he the same guy?
April 14, 2008 at 7:24 pm Permalink
Everyone in OK is named Joe.
April 14, 2008 at 7:30 pm Permalink
I have a longstanding theory that one of them is related to Joe through marriage.
May 27, 2008 at 10:01 am Permalink
my boyfriend got me listenin to this song and i LOOOOOVE it!!
August 12, 2008 at 5:53 pm Permalink
I was wondering if Craig had Jerry Reed sing a line in the song…….
“But cussin’ me ain’t savin’ no time hoss”………That line sure sounds like Jerry Reed to me……
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