In 2013, Thomas Rhett released “It Goes Like This”. The title track of his freshman album, the song is Rhett’s third single, and his first No. 1 hit. “It Goes Like This” is written by Rhett’s father, Rhett Akins, plus Jimmy Robbins and Ben Hayslip.
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One of the biggest singles of Rhett’s career, the singer’s father almost talked him out of even recording the feel-good tune.
“Never in my mind did I think that Thomas Rhett was going to record it,” Akoins recalls (via Songfacts). “Because at that time, Thomas Rhett had already cut a bunch of songs, and we thought his album was going to come out in the spring. I think they pitched it to Luke Bryan and some other people, and it just miraculously hung around enough.”
Songfacts: It Goes Like This | Thomas Rhett
The song evolved into something different as the trio continued crafting the tune. “I think what we were originally trying to write was not what we ended up writing,” Akins recalled to Roughstock. “I think we started with another title and started writing towards that. It’s about meeting this girl, and he says you make me want to write a song, and the song is about us … what I envision you and me doing tonight or for the next year or for forever. I think the song changed mid-way through writing it into what it is now. What we started with wasn’t what we kept.” “The chorus definitely changed,” added Hayslip. “We replaced words with oooo’s and hey’s to make it different. It’s one of those songs where you get the demo back, and you just play it over and over. My kids say, ‘Daddy, play it again! Play it again!’ When that happens, I usually know we have a hit song.”
In fact, when Akins sent it to his son, it didn’t even occur to him that Rhett would put it on his freshman project.
“I did send it to Thomas Rhett, just because I wanted him to hear it,” Akins remembers. “I didn’t even think he was going to record anything else; I just thought it was a song he would like to hear. He immediately called me back and said, ‘Dad – this song is a smash! My wife loves it, I’ve played it for all my friends, and they love it. I want it.’ I was like, ‘Well, I don’t know if you can have it, because you’re probably not going to be able to record it for another year or two.’”
What Thomas Rhett Says About “It Goes Like This”
Rhett writes a lot of his own music. But he recalls knowing, as soon as he heard “It Goes Like This”, that he knew he wanted it on his debut album.
“For the longest time, I wrote all of my material, and didn’t take outside songs,” Rhett tells Billboard. “When my dad sent me this song, I knew it was going to be a game-changer. I knew it was going to be a hit, but I had no idea just how big it was.”
Rhett grew up on the road with his father, who had his own successful career as a country music singer. So it felt full-circle for Rhett to have his first chart-topping hit be written by his dad.
“Every artist dreams of having their first number one, and it really took me by surprise,” Rhett concedes. “I had no idea it was going to go, then I got the phone call. I think the first thing I did was call my dad, who wrote the song. For us to have my first number one song together is a very special thing.”
Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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