Meaning of “Body Like a Back Road” by Sam Hunt
“Body Like a Back Road” is a song by American singer and songwriter Sam Hunt. The lyrics of the song see the singer (Hunt) praising the astonishing body of his woman and comparing it to a back road. FYI: a back road is a small road (usually a country road) that doesn’t have a lot of traffic. As to why Hunt compares his lover’s body to a back road is something that beats the imagination of many!
Anyway, Hunt wrote this song after he got engaged to his girlfriend Hannah Lee Fowler in the latter part of 2016 while the pair was vacationing in Israel. Fowler and Hunt eventually got married on April 15, 2017 – about two months after the release of the song.
According to Hunt, the song was inspired by a romantic relationship. He referred to this track as a “lighthearted song” that he hopes will put smiles on people’s faces.
Facts about “Body Like a Back Road”
- The song was co-written by Sam Hunt and the following songwriters: Grammy Award-winning Zach Crowell, American country music singer and songwriter Shane McAnally and American songwriter Josh Osborne.
- The production of “Body Like a Back Road” was done Crowell (who was one of the song’s writers).
- The song, which was officially released on February 2nd, 2017, is the first single from Hunt’s second studio album.
- Having sold almost 2 million copies in the United States alone in 2017, the song was the third most successful song in the United States in 2017. It was also 2017’s best-selling country song.
- Despite the song’s massive success, it was heavily criticized by many for how it objectified women because by comparing the body of a woman to a back road. In addition to that, it was widely tagged as one of 2017’s worst songs.
- Till date, “Body Like a Back Road” is the most successful song of Hunt’s entire career. The song peaked at the first position on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart where it stayed for an astonishing 34 continuous weeks. It also topped the US Country Airplay. On the US Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at number 6.
- This was Hunt’s first single to enter into the top 10 of the Hot 100.
- This song won a Teen Choice Award for the Choice Country Song in 2017.
What musical genre is “Body Like a Back Road”?
It is a country pop song.
Did “Body Like a Back Road” ever win a Grammy?
Till date, this song hasn’t won a Grammy. It was nominated for two awards at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018 in the categories: Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. However it failed to win in any of the two categories. In the Best Country Solo Performance category, the song lost to “Either Way” by American singer and songwriter Chris Stapleton. In the Best Country Song category, it lost to another song by Chris Stapleton “Broken Halos“.
Does “Body Like a Back Road” objectify women?
According to the majority of the song’s critics it does. However, Hunt claims that in working on the song’s lyric, the last thing he wanted to do was put out a song that comes “across as objectifying women”.
Kojo, thanks a lot for the article post.Much thanks again. Fantastic.
Objectify women? Really does everything have to be politically correct!!!
it is a song and is a great song!
Excellent point! Everything has become so dang P.C. and woke! They just drain all the pleasure and joy out of life.
Since the song was inspired by the visual of “his woman” and his now wife is not offended by it, who cares what others think? My own wife is visually stimulating to me and no one else.
As a woman that loath music that objectifies/ degrade women, I must say that I don’t feel that this song fits that bill. I love this song. Sam is respectfully admiring his wife’s body and there’s nothing wrong with that. He could’ve made a song talking about how good her head game is or how wet her sex is or worst. He could be calling her a bitch or whore/thot or a gold-digger. I’m just saying, compared to a lot of songs playing on the radios these days, I think this song is far from objectifying.
The jiberjash of a song is hogwash to be on stage at the Lucas Stadium. Mumble, jumble is so bad! Had to be on drugs when it was produced. Certainly did not study or do well in his English class.
A football fan.
wow John seems like you are the one on drugs, and you say he did not do well in his English class? When you can’t even spell gibberish correctly? but of course you are a football fan, your IQ is can be counted on one hand.
I have loved this song since I was 6! and frankly, I had no idea what it meant until my friend told me and I still love it but it is not the same to me anymore.