Alan Jackson Had a Big Hit With a Song That Waylon Jennings Didn’t Understand

In 1993, Alan Jackson released “Chattahoochee“. On his third studio album, A Lot About Livin’ (And A Little ‘Bout Love)“, the song is written by Jackson and Jim McBride. A four-week No. 1 hit for Jackson, it is also the first multi-platinum single of his career.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Chattahoochee” says, “Yeah, way down yonder on the Chattahoochee / Never knew how much that muddy water meant to me / But I learned how to swim, and I learned who I was / A lot about living and a little ’bout love.”

It was McBride who had the idea for “Chattahoochee”, which he brought to Jackson when they were writing while Jackson was on tour. The day the two finished writing it, Jackson performed the song during his live show. McBride admits he had no idea “Chattahoochee” would become one of Jackson’s signature songs.

“When the song was released as a single, I had never experienced anything like it before,” McBride tells The Boot. “It was amazing what happened and is still happening. The truth is, if Alan’s had a bigger impact single than ‘Chattahoochee’, I wish someone would tell me what it is.”

What Waylon Jennings Said About Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee” Hit

Plenty of country music fans latched onto “Chattahoochee”. But one person who didn’t like the song is Waylon Jennings.

When Jackson was discussing his surprise that the label chose “Chattahoochee” as a single, he admitted that he was unsure other people would know what the song meant. He was at least partially correct. Jackson later recalls Waylon Jennings saying, “What the hell is a Chattahoochee?”

Fans may not have been familiar with the Chattahoochee River. Still, it resonated with people all over the United States.

“The regular working people, professional people, just trying to do the same things, make a living, raise a family, enjoy life,” Jackson explains. “I learned that there’s a Chattahoochee everywhere.”

30 years after “Chattahoochee” was released, McBride is still amazed at the success of the song.

“I remember we were sitting at an award show, I think the year we got Song of the Year,” McBride tells Atlanta in 2023. “Alan said, ‘You know, they may still be playing this song when we’re 70 years old.’ And I said, ‘Well, they might.’ And he said, ‘Well, you’ll be 70, I’ll only be 60.’ I’m now 75, and that song is like having a single every year.”

“Chattahoochee” also earned Jackson two Grammy nominations, for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. It won the CMA Award for Single of the Year.

Photo by William Campbell/Sygma via Getty Images