Here For The Party

Album: Here For The Party (2004)
Charted: 29
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Gretchen Wilson established herself as the tough girl of country music in 2004 when she emerged with her debut album, Here For The Party. The title track finds her at a shindig where she's in her element: drinking beer, listening to a bar band, and fielding offers from the cowboys who like who she looks in her jeans.
  • Wilson wrote the song with Big Kenny and John Rich of Big & Rich. It was her second single, following Redneck Woman, which she wrote with Rich.

    Wilson was in her early 20s when she moved to Nashville in 1996, but by the time she put out her Here For The Party album in 2004, she was 30. Those years in between she spent bartending to make ends meet while singing anywhere she could and also working on songs. Her come-up and working-class upbringing are reflected in her music.
  • Along with "Redneck Woman," "Here For The Party" is one of Wilson's most popular songs and a must-play in concert. The music video was shot at her concert in Las Vegas to capture the live energy.
  • Wilson released two more hit singles from the album: "When I Think About Cheatin'" and "Homewrecker." She was the toast of the town but fell out of favor pretty quickly, and in 2009 she left Epic Records to form her own independent label, Redneck Records. She slowed down in the 2010s and had a really rough start to the 2020s, getting long COVID and breaking her leg. In 2025 she made a triumphant return with a win on The Masked Singer, where she was a sea creature named Pearl.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."