Sometimes songwriters pen a tune with a particular artist in mind. Despite those intentions, that artist doesn’t always agree to take the song off their hands, forcing them to move in another direction.
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That was the case for the five songs below. Each of these country staples was almost recorded by other artists. Read on to find out who originally intended to record “Big Green Tractor,” “Take Me Home Country Roads” and more.
1. “Big Green Tractor” (Jake Owen)
Song was performed by Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean took “Big Green Tractor” to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Charts in 2009, but the song was initially intended for Jake Owen.
Songwriters Jim Collins and David Lee Murphy first pitched the song to Owen, but he ultimately passed on the track thinking the lyrics would be a stretch for him to perform genuinely.
In an interview with Audacy radio host Coop, Aldean recalled Owen approaching him about the song. “The times I’ve talked to Jake, he’s been really honest,” Aldean said (per Songfacts). “He goes, ‘I’m a Florida kid… it was a hit, but it just wasn’t believable for me to sing about it and it would’ve just never worked.'”
2. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (Johnny Cash)
Song was performed by John Denver
John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” has been a country staple for more than 50 years. It’s undoubtedly Denver’s signature, but it was originally intended for Johnny Cash. Songwriters Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert (Denver later added lyrics to the song) wanted Cash to be the one singing the words, Almost heaven, West Virginia.
According to author John Collins in the biography John Denver: Mother Nature’s Son (per Country Music Family), the pair played it for Denver after a show in 1970, clarifying they wanted the song to go to Cash. After hearing the song, Denver told the writers he had to have it. Denver and the pair subsequently reworked the song, making it more fitting for him as an artist. The rest is country music history.
3. “The House That Built Me” (Blake Shelton)
Song was performed by Miranda Lambert
“The House That Built Me” seems tailor-made for Miranda Lambert. Nevertheless, it was first pitched to Blake Shelton.
Shelton was driving around Oklahoma as he was listening to the song on CD with his then-girlfriend Lambert. Midway through the demo, Shelton reportedly looked over at Lambert who was sobbing. Shelton immediately knew he had to give up the song.
“It’s like the persons that wrote that song were channeling into our lives at that horrible but great time in our lives,” Lambert’s dad, Rick Lambert, told People in 2010. “It was so many mixed emotions at that time because we actually lost everything we owned. We actually lost a house that we built with our own hands.”
4. “Chicken Fried” (Alan Jackson)
Song was performed by Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” was almost recorded by Alan Jackson. After releasing several food-themed songs, Jackson didn’t want to add yet another one to his catalog.
“Man, I just had a song about cornbread and chicken, and I had a song about bologna,” Jackson once said (per Country Now). “Every album I’ve got has these songs about food, so I just don’t think I want to do one about chicken fried right now. In retrospect, I should have done it.”
5. “Jesus, Take The Wheel” (Hillary Scott)
Song was performed by Carrie Underwood
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” helped to catapult Carrie Underwood into stardom in 2005. The song almost ignited the star of another country singer though: Hillary Scott of Lady A. While Scott was working on music before joining Lady A, songwriters Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson pitched “Jesus, Take the Wheel” to her as a solo release.
Scott didn’t end up recording any songs in her solo development deal, so Underwood was ultimately able to pick up the song.
“She goes on to take it and it’s a huge hit and the message of the song is so beautiful,” Scott once said. “It’s neat to have watched the journey — the journey of that song — because they all have their own.”
(Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
