Backup Plan

Album

Different Night Same Rodeo

Label

Warner Music Nashville

Genre

Contemporary Country

Media Type

DD

Duration

3:01

Composer(s)

Jimi Bell;Tucker Beathard;Jon Sherwood

Entered Chart

May 17, 2025

Peak Date

Sep 6, 2025

Released

May 2, 2025

"Backup Plan" is a high-octane duet between Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs. It's the first collaboration between the two Nashville stars. The song is a motivational anthem about tuning out naysayers in favor of chasing one's own ambitions. It tells us that the only real "backup plan" you need is the one that involves standing up, dusting yourself off, and charging ahead. Zimmerman handles the verses like a man who's been through a few storms and has figured out how to smile through the downpour. Combs reflects on the inevitability of hardship but assures us we'll be fine if we keep moving forward. Bailey Zimmerman didn't write "Backup Plan"; Jimi Bell, Jon Sherwood, and Tucker Beathard penned the track. Bell and Beathard previously wrote Zimmerman's Religiously. The Album cut "You Don't Want That Smoke." Zimmerman first heard "Backup Plan" as a demo. He immediately connected with its message, and knew he wanted to record it. From that first listen, he had a hunch: Luke Combs had to be the other half of it. There was, however, a small hitch; they'd never met and Zimmerman didn't have his number. Fate intervened when Combs invited Zimmerman to perform at a concert, which allowed them to meet and exchange numbers. "I was still a little nervous to send it to him, so I kept listening to the song and listening to it, and then one day I was like, 'Dude, I'm sending it,'" Zimmerman recalled. Along with the voice recording of what would become "Backup Plan," Zimmerman wrote, "I don't know what you got going on this year as far as music but I've been wanting to send you this song for a while that I think me and you could crush." He instructed Combs to "jam it and let me know what you think." Combs didn't respond immediately - Zimmerman later joked about nearly being "ghosted" – but he eventually replied and the collaboration moved forward. Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs debuted "Backup Plan" live on April 27, 2025, at Stagecoach 2025, which, for the uninitiated, is like Coachella's flannel-wearing cousin. The music video, directed by Jenny Stoff and Chris Perkel, was filmed during their Stagecoach performance. In the clip, Luke Combs says of the song, "I was on tour in Australia in January, and it was a whole lot of fun. We enjoyed the hell out of it... I got a text message from a number that I didn't have saved in my phone. It was like an MP3 of a song… and then I realized as I listened to it who it was, and now we're doing this song together, and this gentleman is going to come out on stage with me tonight. His name is Bailey Zimmerman."

So your back's backed up against the wall
And the bandwagon's fallen right off
And you're hearing all the talk about
"Maybe you should think about whatcha gonna do if it don't work out"
It ain't about if it makes sense
'Cause if the boot do, it don't fit
As far as I can see, there ain't no way to be somebody if you're just gon' quit

So if you got a fire, don't lose it
If you got a do-or-die dream, do it
If you got something to prove, go on 'n' prove it
Don't let nobody clip your wings
Keep your head down, keep on the blinders
Tune out the doubters and all the closed-minders
If it's in your blood, falling down ain't enough to change who you were born to be
And gettin' back up, that's the only backup plan you need

Well, life's got a lotta sticks 'n' stones
And a blade that'll cut you to the bone
But if you're doing what you love and it kills you
Well, you can live with that all day long

So if you got a fire, don't lose it
If you got a do-or-die dream, do it
If you got something to prove, go on 'n' prove it
Don't let nobody clip your wings
Keep your head down, keep on the blinders
Tune out the doubters and all the closed-minders
If it's in your blood, falling down ain't enough to change who you were born to be
Gettin' back up, that's the only backup plan you need

So if you got a fire, don't lose it
If you got a do-or-die dream, do it
If you got something to prove, go on 'n' prove it
Don't let nobody clip your wings
Keep your head down, keep on the blinders
Tune out the doubters and all the closed-minders
If it's in your blood, falling down ain't enough to change who you were born to be
And gettin' back up, that's the only backup plan you need
Yeah, gettin' back up, that's the only backup plan you need