No matter who cut it, this song was destined to be a #1 hit.
And while Cody Johnson just scored his third #1 hit with “Dirt Cheap,” Luke Combs got the first shot at cutting it, though it somehow slipped past his radar and he passed on it (without releasing it) when he received the demo.
Written by Josh Phillips “Dirt Cheap” is of course a beautiful, heartfelt song finds CoJo reflecting on what’s important to him and how he values memories and simple things over material wealth and possessions.
And in an interview with Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton as he co-hosted the show not long ago, CoJo talked about the song, his desire to work with Lainey Wilson, and also how he met Post Malone for the first time.
CoJo revealed that it was pitched to Luke first, though he didn’t end up listening to it until after Cody had already cut and released it. Of course, it’s a great song, and Cody said Luke had some “choice words” about the situation, wishing he would’ve been the one to snatch it up.
Of course, as Cody so eloquently points out, everything happens for a reason, so it all worked out in the long run:
“He didn’t click on it. So here’s to you Luke! He didn’t listen to it until I after released it. He thought the title looked familiar.
I talked about it afterwards, he had some choice words to say about Dirt Cheap. I said, ‘Everything happens for a reason.'”
I can totally hear Luke sining “Dirt Cheap” too, and it honestly would’ve fit right in on his recent Fathers & Sons albums, though it’s right up Cody’s alley, too, and he obviously did a fantastic job with it.
Maybe one day they could sing it together… Cody has opened up for Luke many times over the years, and I can never get enough of their “Dust On The Bottle” cover from a couple years ago in Denver, Colorado:
