‘Friends in Low Places’ by Garth Brooks: How His Signature Song Reached No. 1

Everyone knows "Friends in Low Places," the song that propelled Garth Brooks into superstardom. But what you might not know is this boot-stomping singalong had a humble beginning in a Nashville tavern. Let's dive into how a track born out of a songwriter forgetting his wallet grew into a chart-topping hit.

Songwriters Dewayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee came up with the song title. They were out and having a good time at Nashville restaurant, Tavern on the Row, where Lee forgot his wallet. He assured Blackwell that it’s not going to be a problem by assuring him and telling him that “Don’t worry. I have friends in low places. I know the cook.”  

Both writers immediately recognized the potential of this phrase. They kept it in their back pockets for quite some time before the right moment struck. Lee’s songwriting career has been prolific; his notable hits include “One Night At A Time” by George Strait, which reached No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, and “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking” by Blake Shelton, which went 2x platinum.  

The idea that started from Tavern on the Row came together several months later at a Nashville industry “number one party” in celebration of another songwriter’s success. Lee and Blackwell were inspired by the contrast between the fancy party atmosphere and Tavern on the Row, where the original idea was born. At the time, they wrote the song on napkins because they didn’t have other paper available.  

It’s evident in the track’s lyrics that the songwriters were inspired by the “black-tie affair” scenario: “Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots / And ruined your black tie affair / The last one to know, the last one to show / I was the last one you thought you'd see there / And I saw the surprise and the fear in his eyes / When I took his glass of champagne / And I toasted you, said, ‘Honey, we may be through / But you'll never hear me complain.’”  

Lee also called the song “a gift”: “After a couple of bottles of champagne, the song just fell out on the bar. So, it was really a gift.”  

Brooks first encountered the songwriters when he was still working as a shoe salesman in Goolettsville, Tennessee. He was working an odd job while trying to look for his big break in music. Blackwell and Lee gave this then-unknown salesman side hustles by asking him to make demos of their songs because they were impressed with his voice and range.  

Brooks recorded the song he didn’t think would be his signature hit in 1989, before the release of his debut album. He nearly missed it since the song was almost recorded by Mark Chesnutt.  

Brooks decided to include the song on his No Fences album. The master recording for the album borrowed key elements from the demo recorded at Windwalker Studios in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, which featured musicians John Beland, Steve Turner, and Larry Paxton.   

The track features two famous “secrets” hidden in the recording: a beer can opening that was mistaken at the time as an audio glitch, and someone yelling “Push, Marie!” guitarist James Garver’s wife, who was giving birth at that time. Brooks revealed, “We figured all of it was good luck and should be left in.”

“Friends in Low Places” transformed Brooks’ career and country music. The song was instrumental in making him the best-selling solo artist in American history and launched the country music boom in the 1990s. Brooks’ signature hit also helped him win multiple awards and sell over 150 million records.