Don’t mess with Rocky Top.
Riley Green should have known that he was in Volunteer country when he sang “Hell Of A Way To Go,” and got to a particular part in the song that doesn’t go over well for Tennessee fans.
During a recent concert in Knoxville, Tennessee (home of the University of Tennessee), Riley Green reluctantly decided to work one of his hits into the setlist.
Green introduced the song by saying this:
“Both dreading and really looking forward to playing you all this next song. All I can say is this right here. I am not an Alabama fan myself…
If y’all feel the need to just give me a big ol’ loud boo, go right on ahead.”
Riley then gets into the tune, which tells a story about nostalgia and reminisces on growing up with his dad and grandfather. It was his grandfather that was the Alabama fan, and why the chorus to the song goes like this:
“I’d be sittin’ on a lake like glass
Catchin’ Largemouth Bass
Just my boy and me
Or maybe on a fifty-yard line
Watchin’ Alabama whoop up on Tennessee…”
As you can imagine, once Riley Green got to that last part, the “boo birds” came out in a deafening way. Tennessee Volunteer fans in attendance were simply not having it.
Green smiled and pulled his hat down as he sang through it and kept the song moving. But once he got around to the chorus for the last time, he stopped “”Hell Of A Way To Go” in its tracks and said this to the crowd:
“I’ll be honest with you all. I’ve never been booed by this many people before. But I’m gonna tell you all the truth, it don’t bother me one bit. This would be a hell of a way to go getting booed by this many country music loving Tennessee fans.
And one night only, I’m gonna do a little bit of a lyric change and let y’all have your moment. Because the truth is, I wrote this song in 2022 and y’all did beat Alabama that year.”
The crowd loved the shoutout for UT football from Green right there, but they loved the lyric change that he installed when he sang the modified chorus shortly after.
“Watchin’ Alabama whoop up on Tennessee” was changed to “Alabama get’s their ass whooped by Tennessee,” and the Knoxville audience ATE IT UP.
Check it out:
@bjayefrancisburch A little booing dont hurt anyone, but it might make ya change your lyrics!! #rileygreen #thompsonbolingarena #knoxville ♬ original sound – B Jaye Francis Burch
And the live studio version:
