Just proves that you never really know what’s going to be a hit.
Back in 2011, Eric Church released his first ever song that he hadn’t written himself when he included “Like Jesus Does” on his career-defining album Chief. The heartfelt love song was written by frequent collaborators Casey Beathard and Monty Criswell, and would go on to become Church’s fifth and final top 10 hit from the album and his 8th consecutive single that would be certified gold.
Beathard (who’s probably my favorite songwriter in country music) says the song wasn’t specifically written with Church in mind, because he knew that at that point Chief hadn’t ever recorded a song that he didn’t write himself. But as it turns out, one Hall of Fame songwriter didn’t think it should be written at all – because he didn’t think radio would play it.
During an interview last year on The Salty Christians podcast, Beathard pulled back the curtain on writing “Like Jesus Does,” and said that Criswell first pitched the idea while at a regular co-writing session with some fellow songwriters:
“One day we’re sitting on that porch … Monty was sitting out there and he looks at me and goes, ‘Man, I want to write a song. I want to write something about, ‘She loves me like Jesus does.'”
Beathard was immediately sold on the idea, but one of their fellow co-writers there with them wasn’t so sure:
“He gets up and he’s like, ‘Oh man, they won’t say Jesus on country radio anymore.’ And he got all mad and he started walking off.”
Well as it turns out, that songwriter was Ed Hill, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame who’s written hits like “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls” for George Strait, “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” by Tracy Lawrence, “Be My Baby Tonight” by John Michael Montgomery, and a ton of others. So he knows a thing or two about writing hit songs, but according to Beathard, he was concerned that a song about Jesus wouldn’t be a hit on country radio – though he’s quick to point out that Hill is himself a Christian.
Beathard and Criswell decided to go ahead and write the song anyway, and it went on to become a massive hit and a fan favorite for Church. While it peaked at #6 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, it’s safe to say that any concerns about country radio being turned off by the mention of Jesus didn’t come true.
Back when it was released, Church spoke about his decision to record his first outside track, revealing that his wife Katherine was the driving force:
“True love is when you love a person in spite of all their fallibilities, and I have a lot of them. I’m definitely at times hard to love, and that’s what’s great about Katherine and the way she loves me. She loves me in spite of those things and really for those things.”
And when you look at the lyrics you can see why both Church and his wife thought the song was a fit for Chief and his hard-edged style:
“I’m a long gone Waylon song on vinyl
I’m a back row sinner at a tent revival
But she believes in me like she believes her Bible
And she loves me like Jesus does
I’m a lead foot leaning on a souped up Chevy
I’m a good ol’ boy, drinkin’ whiskey and rye on the levee
But she carries me when my sins make me heavy
And she loves me like Jesus does
All the crazy in my dreams
And both my broken wings
Every single piece of who I am
And she knows the man I ain’t
She forgives me when I can’t
The devil, man, no, he don’t stand a chance
‘Cause she loves me like Jesus does”
I think everybody’s glad Beathard and Criswell decided to go ahead and write the song – even if some of his fellow songwriters weren’t sure about it.
