Why (Rascal Flatts song): Difference between revisions

"Why"
"Why"
Single by Rascal Flatts
from the album Unstoppable
Released	September 29, 2009
Genre	Country
Length	4:55
Label	Lyric Street
Songwriter(s)	Rob Mathes, Allen Shamblin
Producer(s)	Dann Huff, Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts singles chronology

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"Why" is a song recorded by American country music band Rascal Flatts. It is the third single from their sixth studio album, Unstoppable. It was released to radio stations on September 29, 2009 and debuted at number 44 on the U.S. Billboard US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 10, 2009. It was written by Rob Mathes and Allen Shamblin.

The song was recorded earlier by Faith Hill for a possible inclusion on her 2005 album Fireflies, but ultimately did not make the cut. It was eventually released in 2016 on Deep Tracks.^[1]

Content

The song is a ballad, sung from the perspective of a man whose close friend has died by suicide. All three members of Rascal Flatts stated that they had experienced some degree of difficulty recording the song, because each member knew someone close to them that suffered the same fate.^[2]

Critical reception

Roughstock gave the song a favorable review. Bobby Peacock of the website says of the song, “The lyrics alone are beautiful.”^[3] Chris Neal of Country Weekly gave it three stars out of five, saying that lead singer Gary LeVox "handles the lyric as delicately as its subject matter[…] calls for" but said that the "climactic arena rock guitar solo[…]rob[s] some of the song of its intimacy."^[4]

Reviewing the album Unstoppable upon release, Matt Bjorke of Roughstock specifically cited "Why" as the best track of the album, writing, "This is the kind of song that got me to personally like Rascal Flatts and it's certainly the best track on Unstoppable" and "There's gotta be 'Song of the Year' accolades somewhere down the line for this song as it's that powerful."^[5]

Chart performance

"Why" peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts dated for November 14, 2009. It held the peak before falling to No. 19 on the week of November 28 before returning to number 18 a week later. The song did not reach the Billboard Hot 100 proper, but peaked at number 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, which is equivalent to number 102 on Hot 100.

Chart (2009)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[6]	18
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100^[7]	2

References

^ Bonaguro, Alison (November 21, 2016). "Faith Hill: "Rebel Without Walls"". CMT. Viacom. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
^ Dunham, Nancy (2010-06-23). "Rascal Flatts Explain 'Why' They Cut Tough Song About Suicide". The Boot. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
^ Roughstock “Why” Review
^ Neal, Chris (2009-11-16). "Reviews: Singles". Country Weekly. 16 (40): 54. ISSN 1074-3235.
^ "Rascal Flatts - "Unstoppable"". Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
^ "Rascal Flatts Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 732. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.

[1] Bonaguro, Alison (November 21, 2016). "Faith Hill: "Rebel Without Walls"". CMT. Viacom. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.

[2] Dunham, Nancy (2010-06-23). "Rascal Flatts Explain 'Why' They Cut Tough Song About Suicide". The Boot. Retrieved 2023-12-31.

[3] Roughstock “Why” Review

[4] Neal, Chris (2009-11-16). "Reviews: Singles". Country Weekly. 16 (40): 54. ISSN 1074-3235.

[roughstock-5] "Rascal Flatts - "Unstoppable"". Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Rascal_Flatts-6] "Rascal Flatts Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

[whitburn2010-7] Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 732. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Infobox song
-{{Infobox Single <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
-| Name           = Why
+| name       = Why
-| Cover          =
+| cover      = Rascal Flatts - Why Promo Cover2.JPG
-| Artist         = [[Rascal Flatts]]
+| alt        =
+| type       = single
-| Album          = [[Unstoppable (Rascal Flatts album)|Unstoppable]]
-| Released       = {{Start date|2009|9|29}}
+| artist     = [[Rascal Flatts]]
+| album      = [[Unstoppable (Rascal Flatts album)|Unstoppable]]
-| Format         =
+| released   = {{Start date|2009|9|29}}
-| Recorded       =
+| recorded   =
-| Genre          = [[Country music|Country]]
-| Length         = 4:53
+| studio     =
+| venue      =
-| Label          = [[Lyric Street Records|Lyric Street]]
-| Writer         = [[Allen Shamblin]], Rob Mathes
+| genre      = [[Country music|Country]]
-| Producer       = [[Dann Huff]]
+| length     = 4:55
+| label      = [[Lyric Street Records|Lyric Street]]
-| Audio sample?  =
+| writer     = Rob Mathes, [[Allen Shamblin]]
-| Certification  =
-| Last single    = "[[Summer Nights (Rascal Flatts song)|Summer Nights]]"<br />(2009)
+| producer   = [[Dann Huff]], Rascal Flatts
+| prev_title = [[Summer Nights (Rascal Flatts song)|Summer Nights]]
-| This single    = "'''Why'''"<br />(2009)
-| Next single    =
+| prev_year  = 2009
+| next_title = [[Unstoppable (Rascal Flatts song)|Unstoppable]]
-| Misc           =
+| next_year  = 2010
 }}
+"'''Why'''" is a song recorded by American [[country music]] band [[Rascal Flatts]]. It is the third single from their sixth studio album, ''[[Unstoppable (Rascal Flatts album)|Unstoppable]]''. It was released to radio stations on September 29, 2009 and debuted at number 44 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Hot Country Songs|US Billboard Hot Country Songs]] chart for the week of October 10, 2009. It was written by Rob Mathes and [[Allen Shamblin]].
+The song was recorded earlier by [[Faith Hill]] for a possible inclusion on her 2005 album ''[[Fireflies (Faith Hill album)|Fireflies]]'', but ultimately did not make the cut. It was eventually released in 2016 on ''[[Deep Tracks (Faith Hill album)|Deep Tracks]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bonaguro |first1=Alison|title=Faith Hill: "Rebel Without Walls"|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1773832/faith-hill-rebel-without-walls/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122193542/http://www.cmt.com/news/1773832/faith-hill-rebel-without-walls/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 22, 2016|website=[[Country Music Television|CMT]]|publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]]|access-date=December 2, 2016|date=November 21, 2016}}</ref>
-'''"Why"''' is the title of a song by [[country music|country]] band [[Rascal Flatts]]. It is the third single from their ''[[Unstoppable (Rascal Flatts album)|Unstoppable]]'' album. It was released to radio stations on September 29, 2009 and debuted at Number 44 on the [[Hot Country Songs|US Billboard Hot Country Songs]] chart for the week of October 10, 2009.  It was written by Rob Mathes and [[Allen Shamblin]].
 ==Content==
-The song is a slow-tempo song, sung from the perspective of a man whose close friend has committed [[suicide]]. It was a tough song for the trio to cut as all three members of the band have known someone close to them that committed suicide. <ref> [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=15314 Why Songfacts] </ref> The song makes particular use of metaphors, comparing life to a song and the world as a stage, with the narrator singing, in the chorus:
+The song is a ballad, sung from the perspective of a man whose close friend has died by [[suicide]]. All three members of Rascal Flatts stated that they had experienced some degree of difficulty recording the song, because each member knew someone close to them that suffered the same fate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dunham |first=Nancy |date=2010-06-23 |title=Rascal Flatts Explain 'Why' They Cut Tough Song About Suicide |url=https://theboot.com/rascal-flatts-why-lyrics/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=The Boot |language=en}}</ref>
-<blockquote>
-''Oh why that’s what I keep asking''<br />
-''Was there anything I could have said or done?''<br />
-''Oh I had no clue you were masking'' <br />
-''A troubled soul, God only knows''<br />
-''What went wrong''<br />
-''and why you’d leave the stage in the middle of a song''
-</blockquote>
+==Critical reception==
-In the final chorus of the song, the narrator sings:
+Roughstock gave the song a favorable review. Bobby Peacock of the website says of the song, “The lyrics alone are beautiful.”<ref>[http://roughstock.com/news/2009/09/20461-rascal-flatts-why Roughstock “Why” Review]</ref> Chris Neal of ''[[Country Weekly]]'' gave it three stars out of five, saying that lead singer [[Gary LeVox]] "handles the lyric as delicately as its subject matter[…] calls for" but said that the "climactic [[arena rock]] guitar solo[…]rob[s] some of the song of its intimacy."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Neal|first=Chris|date=2009-11-16|title=Reviews: Singles|journal=[[Country Weekly]]|volume=16|issue=40|pages=54|issn=1074-3235}}</ref>
+Reviewing the album ''Unstoppable'' upon release, Matt Bjorke of Roughstock specifically cited "Why" as the best track of the album, writing, "This is the kind of song that got me to personally like Rascal Flatts and it's certainly the best track on ''Unstoppable''" and "There's gotta be 'Song of the Year' accolades somewhere down the line for this song as it's that powerful."<ref name="roughstock">{{cite web |url=http://www.roughstock.com/reviews/rascal-flatts-unstoppable |title=Rascal Flatts - "Unstoppable" |access-date=April 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411204157/http://www.roughstock.com/reviews/rascal-flatts-unstoppable |archive-date=April 11, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-<blockquote>
-''Oh why there’s no comprehending''<br />
-''And who am I to try to judge or explain''<br />
-''Oh but I do have one burning question''<br />
-''Who told you life wasn’t worth the fight?''<br />
-''They were wrong''<br />
-''They lied''<br />
-''And now you’re gone''<br />
-''And we cry''
-</blockquote>
+==Chart performance==
-==Reception==
+"Why" peaked at No. 18 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Country Songs]] charts dated for November 14, 2009. It held the peak before falling to No. 19 on the week of November 28 before returning to number 18 a week later. The song did not reach the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] proper, but peaked at number 2 on the [[Bubbling Under Hot 100]], which is equivalent to number 102 on Hot 100.
-Roughstock gave the song a favorable review. Ten Pound Hammer of the website says of the song, “The lyrics  alone are beautiful, with the narrator asking just why a special person in his life had to commit suicide. Perhaps the best line is "Why you'd leave the stage in the middle of a song" — a very striking metaphor.” <ref>[http://www.roughstock.com/blog/rascal-flatts-why-| Roughstock “Why” Review]</ref> The song also received special mention in Matt Bjorke original review of the ''Unstoppable'' album, where he wrote, “for this album, "Why" the trio has found what might be their best album-ending track since their self-titled debut's "I'm Moving On."  Levox has NEVER sounded better vocally and sings the questioning lyrics that make up the Allen Shamblin and Rob Mathes song.  The song finds a guy asking why a friend would choose to 'leave the stage in the middle of the song.’” <ref>[http://www.roughstock.com/reviews/rascal-flatts-unstoppable| Roughstock “Unstoppable” Review]</ref> Both Bjorke and Ten Pound Hammer noted the possibility and worthiness of the song receiving a “Song of the Year” award. CM Wilcox of The 9513 gave a thumbs-down, saying "Rascal Flatts, who have made a career of reveling in just such melodrama, have at long last discovered a song that actually seems to justify their usual overdone style" but adding that the song's "biggest problem" was its length.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the9513.com/rascal-flatts-why/|title=Rascal Flatts — "Why"|last=Wilcox|first=CM|date=2009-10-09|work=The 9513|accessdate=2009-10-09}}</ref>
-==Chart positions==
 {| class="wikitable sortable"
 |-
@@ Line 56: / Line 39: @@
 !align="center"|Peak<br />position
 |-
+{{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|18|artist=Rascal Flatts|artistid=395934}}
-|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs
-|align=center|22
 |-
+|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Bubbling Under Hot 100]]<ref name="whitburn2010">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2010|publisher=Record Research, Inc|page=732|year=2011|isbn=978-0-89820-188-8}}</ref>
-|Canadian ''Radio & Records'' Country Singles
-|align=center|38
+|align=center|2
 |}
@@ Line 66: / Line 48: @@
 {{reflist}}
-{{Rascal Flatts}}
+{{Rascal Flatts singles}}
 [[Category:2009 singles]]
-[[Category:Songs produced by Dann Huff]]
 [[Category:Rascal Flatts songs]]
+[[Category:Faith Hill songs]]
+[[Category:Songs about suicide]]
+[[Category:Song recordings produced by Dann Huff]]
 [[Category:Songs written by Allen Shamblin]]
+[[Category:Lyric Street Records singles]]
+[[Category:Country ballads]]
+[[Category:2009 songs]]
+[[Category:2016 songs]]
+[[Category:Songs written by Rob Mathes]]

v t e Rascal Flatts singles
Rascal Flatts	"Prayin' for Daylight" "This Everyday Love" "While You Loved Me" "I'm Movin' On"
Melt	"These Days" "Love You Out Loud" "I Melt" "Mayberry"
Feels Like Today	"Feels Like Today" "Bless the Broken Road" "Fast Cars and Freedom" "Skin (Sarabeth)"
Me and My Gang	"What Hurts the Most" "Me and My Gang" "My Wish" "Stand"
Still Feels Good	"Take Me There" "Winner at a Losing Game" "Every Day" "Bob That Head" "Here"
Unstoppable	"Here Comes Goodbye" "Summer Nights" "Why" "Unstoppable"
Nothing Like This	"Why Wait" "I Won't Let Go" "Easy"
Changed	"Banjo" "Come Wake Me Up" "Changed"
Rewind	"Rewind" "Payback" "Riot" "I Like the Sound of That"
Back to Us	"Yours If You Want It"
Other songs	"Life Is a Highway" "That Should Be Me" "Words I Couldn't Say" "Back to Life" "Let It Go" "Until Grace" "How They Remember You" "Forever Country"