On This Day in 2007, Alan Jackson Released a No. 1 Single That Marked a Stylistic Return to His Roots

On this day (November 19) in 2007, Alan Jackson released “Small Town Southern Man” as the lead single from his album Good Time. The single wasn’t just his first to top the chart since “Remember When” in 2003. It was also a return to form for Jackson after his previous Alison Krauss-produced release, Like Red on a Rose, which saw him step away from the neotraditional style that made him famous.

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Since making his debut with Here in the Real World in 1989, Jackson kept traditional country music at the core of his sound. That led to several hit albums and singles. Then, in 2006, he released Like Red on a Rose. While it was produced by a bluegrass legend, the record saw Jackson leaning into a sound that was closer to easy listening than country. It topped the country chart and went to No. 4 on the Billboard 200, giving Jackson a major crossover hit. Its two singles were also hits. However, the LP received mixed reactions from fans.

[RELATED: On This Day in 2000, Alan Jackson Brought Traditional Country to the New Millennium With His Fifth No. 1 Album]

With “Small Town Southern Man,” Jackson subtly announced that he was going back to his roots. He didn’t just go back to the sound that made him a superstar. He also went back to working with his longtime producer, Keith Stegall. This was the first of three singles from the LP to reach the top of the chart.

Alan Jackson Writes What He Knows

Good Time was seemingly a reaction to Like Red on a Rose on several levels. For instance, Alan Jackson wrote all 17 of the album’s songs. One of the qualities that makes his songwriting so popular is how relatable his lyrics can be. “Small Town Southern Man” is no exception.

Some of the lines are seemingly taken directly from his life. For instance, in the second verse, he sings about the titular character having four daughters and, a few years later, an unplanned son. Jackson is the youngest of five children and has four older sisters. However, he didn’t write the song about himself, his father, or any of the other hard-working men in his family. Instead, he penned the song as a tribute to blue-collar men across the country who do what they have to do every day to provide for their families.

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