Whatever It Is

Album: The Foundation (2008)
Charted: 26
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Songfacts®:

  • According to Brown, this fiddle-laden ballad is about "the bewildering power of love."
  • The song was co-written by Zac Brown and Wyatt Durrette, with whom Brown also co-wrote the band's debut #1 single "Chicken Fried." It was released as the second single from The Foundation and was the band's second Top 10 hit on the Billboard country singles charts.
  • Durrette told The Boot the story of the song: "This song was written about seven years ago. Zac was playing at a little bar called Thunderbirds [in Atlanta]. We'd known each other for a while. We were sitting around talking, and I said something that was a compliment to him. I told him that he had whatever 'it' is on stage that people love to listen to and watch him play. I told him they were drawn to him. Zac said, 'That's a great title for a song, but we should write it about a woman.'

    At the time, I was head-over-heals in love with a girl. Those kind of songs are easy to write when you're in that place in your life. I wrote the first verse real quick by myself and finished it with Zac. It was our first song we constructed together, melody-wise and lyric-wise. It was easy to write. Some songs take a while to write, but this song came right out. This was just about when you're in love, and the woman has all those things that draw you into them."

Comments: 6

  • Marie E Deshaney from Minocqua, WiI just love this song gentlemen , there something about this song , goose bumps , and this strange feeling that I heard this song and voice , something special happened while this song was playing, or it was playing while I was asleep and was dreaming , hard to explain ,. I apologize for this ! I really truly want to thank you for writing and singing this song ! This definitely my favorite songs of my , 61 years beings alive ! God bless you all ! Your the best zac brown band !!
  • Bear from PaThis song was written about my current girlfriend. Her and Zach had a fling while she was living in North Carolina and him and his wife were in a break. Now you know.
  • Islandboy from Griffin, GaHey, does anybody know if this video was done on Jekyll Island?
  • Megan from Stevenson, AlWhen this came out, I listened to it on repeat! Love it:)
  • Daniel from Jacksonville, Flhow is the song abt a stripper? i dont really follow it, he talks abt love and everything, and i highly doubt that zac bronw fell in love w/ a stripper. he is married to a very beautiful wife, and has a little boy....a striper? yeh, ok buddy
  • Amy from Lake Oconee, GaThis song was written about a stripper, its definitely not a love song. Zac played a very intimate, acoustic set at a local joint here a few years ago and told the story of how he (or and his writing partner Wyatt Durette) wrote this song about a hot stripper Wyatt liked and I think ended up marrying.
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