Peak
31
Weeks
3
Score
352
Chart Year
2023
"El Dorado" is about a friend of Bryan's named Garrett Brewster, who was a US Marine. He suffered from traumatic brain injuries and PTSD and committed suicide after returning home to the US. The song is a powerful and moving tribute to Brewster. Bryan sings about the pain of losing his friend and the struggle to cope with his death. He also sings about the hope that one day he will see Brewster again in El Dorado, the mythical city of gold. Zach Bryan wrote and produced "El Dorado" and played acoustic guitar. The other musicians are: Jacob Weinberg: background vocals Noah LeGros: background vocals, electric guitar Zephyr Avalon: bass guitar Read Connolly: steel guitar Steve Clark: drums Lucas Ruge-Jones: percussion, fiddle Zach Bryan recorded "El Dorado" for his 2023 self-titled album. Bryan is donating the profits from the song to McCaffrey's 22 And Troops foundation. NFL star Christian McCaffrey and his wife Olivia created the foundation to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide prevention among veterans and active-duty military personnel. The name of the foundation reflects the 22 veterans who die by suicide each day. In the song's demo, Zach Bryan pronounced the name of the mythical town of El Dorado in the traditional way: "el-da-ra-dou." However, he changed it to the Spanish pronunciation, "el-do-rado," after learning the Kansas town of El Dorado is pronounced that way. Bryan wanted to stay true to the Spanish roots of the name and to show his respect for the people of Kansas.
Did you ever make it back to El Dorado? I'd call and ask, but hell if I know If I still got your number or if you care You moved away when you was younger Was it escape or was it hunger? Kansas ain't no place to be a man You used to say you'd settle down But that kind girl from school in town She was gone before you got back home To El Dorado, hell if I know if you're still alive There's a note in the glovebox in your drive El Dorado, hell if they know the difference in a hero And a man I wish was still by my side Seventeen years old How our grins look scary brave My mama always said we look so handsome when we shave You used to say, "If not you, then who?" And you'd go a thousand times or two Now your name's up on a sign in El Dorado driving through In El Dorado, hell if I know if you're still alive There's a note in the glovebox in your drive El Dorado, hell if they know the difference in a hero And a man I wish was still by my side You're in every last memory alive And I called last week to talk to my favorite old devil dog They told me he had finally headed home
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 9, 2023 | 31 | 95 |
| 2 | Sep 16, 2023 | 49 | 77 |
| 3 | Sep 23, 2023 | 76 | 50 |