One Of Those Nights

Album

Two Lanes of Freedom

Label

Big Machine Records

Genre

Country

Composer(s)

Luke Laird;Rodney Clawson;Chris Tompkins

Entered Chart

Dec 15, 2012

Peak Date

Feb 23, 2013

Released

November 12, 2012

Recorded

2012

Catalog #

Big Machine Digital

This fun, uptempo tune is the second single from Two Lanes of Freedom, Tim McGraw's first album with Big Machine Records after a long legal battle with his previous label, Curb. The title possibly alludes to McGraw's lawsuit and his contentment after finally being freed from his old record contract. "'Freedom' is a powerful word," he said. "To come into a situation where there's some weight lifted, some refreshment going on, you can feel that in the music. I think you can feel the horses gallop on this record, and where I might go and what I might do when my engines are revving." This song sets the tone for the album, which McGraw worked on with friend and co-producer Byron Gallimore. He explained: "It's about reflecting on old times with a sense of nostalgia, but it's also about creating new memories and living in the moment and looking towards the future. I am doing that in my own life and career now." McGraw previewed the song on the October 31, 2012 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He performed it live for the first time at the following day's CMA Awards, after which it was released to country radio. When this song topped the Billboard Country singles chart, it gave McGraw his 33rd career #1 song on that tally. The song was written by Luke Laird, Rodney Clawson and Chris Tompkins. Laird told Billboard magazine it allowed him to go back and revisit his musical roots. "I've been a Tim McGraw fan since I was in high school," he admitted. "He actually recorded that song about a year before it was ever released. We didn't know if it was going to end up making the album, if it would get shelved, or what the plan was. So, it was really cool. He was someone I just remember watching on the CMA Awards, so to have him singing words that you wrote, it's a really surreal moment."

She's getting dressed up, putting on that lipstick
Shimmy shaking, ride into them cut-offs baby, oh yeah
You're getting off work, cashing up that paycheck
Gotta change that shirt and pick that girl up on her front step
Here she comes now looking so fine
You've been waiting on this night for such a long, long time

She slides in and you rode down Main Street,
You turn right when that red light turns green
Sun sets now, you're half way to heaven
She picks a song, you turn it up to eleven
You say "do you wanna?" and she says "hell yeah"
So you hit the party, all your buddies are jealous
Someday you'll be looking back on your life
At the memories, this is gonna be one of those nights

Crowded backyard, everybody's laughing
Kinda party, next week you'll say I was there when it happened
Coming up on midnight, bout time to get going
And then the DJ starts to play your favorite song
You slow dance for three minutes or so, and then she whispers baby let's go

And then she slides in and she gives you the green light
You hold off till you turn on the headlights
Someday when you're looking back on your life
At the memories, this is gonna be one of those nights
Yeah one of those nights

Full moon through a crack in the windshield
You hold her close and you'll never forget how her heartbeat feels
No you never will
'Cause someday when you're looking back on your life
At the memories, this is gonna be one of those nights
Yeah one of those nights
One of those nights
Yeah one of those nights
One of those nights, oh
One of those nights
This is gonna be, hey
This is gonna be
One of those nights
Oh oh