We’ve finally made it to the weekend, which means it’s the perfect time to throw on your best pair of cowboy boots, find a nearby Honky Tonk, and go dance the night away to the “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.”
On this date, all the way back in 1992 (feel old yet?), Brooks and Dunn’s version of the song was all the way at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. And yes, I said their “version” of the song, because the “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” is, in fact, a cover song.
The song was first recorded by the band Asleep at the Wheel in 1990, and though they might not be as recognizable as Brooks and Dunn, they’ve had a rather successful country music career as well. Not only were they the first to record “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” Asleep at the Wheel has also impressively won nine Grammy Awards and released more than 20 albums.
Though the original song did well, it came nowhere close to what Brooks and Dunn eventually did with it. The country duo included the tune in their Brand New Man album, and released it as the fourth single for the project. “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” quickly became a hit, giving the band their fourth consecutive single to reach the number one spot on the Hot Country charts.
Surely you aren’t a stranger to the song, which many credit for the line dancing craze that swept the country shortly after its release. Of course, the tune itself is a tribute to Texas-style line dancing, usually taking place in honky-tonks. The beginning of the tune gets “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” to its line-dancing-inducing chorus, singing:
“Out in the country past the city limits sign
Well there’s a honky tonk near the county line
The joint starts jumpin everynight when the sun goes down
They got whiskey, women, music and smoke
It’s where all the cowboy folk go to boot scootin’ boogie”
And the way that the lyrics “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” are sang each and every time is phenomenal. Maybe that’s why so many people love it, and why Brooks and Dunn gave the song a second life (like it needed it) when they re-recorded it with Midland in 2019.
But it is pretty hard to beat the original version (or at least the Brooks and Dunn cover), and the music video is exceptionally well-done.
Take a look:
