Comments on: Single Review: Big & Rich, “That’s Why I Pray”

By: RowdyRed

RowdyRed — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 19:04:26 +0000

I’m just not a B&R fan in general. The deliberately atonal harmonies just sound bad to me. They haven’t had a hit single in some years now, so to trot out this laundry list of sorrows and then refrain it with “That’s Why I Pray” sounds like a primer on how to write a meaningless, mercenary, country megahit. It SEEMS to be profound, but it’s actually incredibly cynical.

This faux piety is, to me, the second worst commercial gimmick in country music. The worst, of course, is Rural Pride Rural Pride Rural Pride!!! And we can’t forget the hyper-patriotic anthem songs that, mercifully, have simmered down lately (with the exception of a certain artist whose first name starts with Toby).

Any time I can smell the insincerity, it’s offensive. This song reeks of it.

By: Stephen H.

Stephen H. — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:09:26 +0000

To this day, I’m amazed they never released “Live This Life” as a single.

Complete agreement on the rating for this song. I’m a B&R fan, and to me this is the third-worst single they’ve released (behind “Comin’ to Your City” and “Loud”).

By: bob

bob — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 12:27:45 +0000

Can’t argue with your rating. I’m not much of a B&R fan but my favorites include “Faster Than Angels Fly”, written by Billy Henderson and John Phillips, and “8th of November” which B&R wrote.

By: John

John — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 04:43:06 +0000

The most puzzling thing for me is that, with two guys who have earned respect for their songwriting chops, they picked THIS to record. Just not a John Rich fan anyway, but this makes me even less excited for their return, not more. At least they had the group to fall back on when their solo gigs fizzled.

By: Kent

Kent — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:06:24 +0000

I agree, this song just isn’t very exciting. This definitely doesn’t live up to “Live This Life”. “Live” had a more interesting melody, more beautiful harmonies, and those lyrics. I rarely get much out of lyrics, but “Live This Life” did it for me.

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:12:54 +0000

I agree that it does seem a little formulaic, but I do like the chorus of it at least. I might have given it a C.

By: Ben Foster

Ben Foster — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 23:24:12 +0000

I’ve never even gotten around to hearing this song until now. Yeah… pretty lame. Then again, what can you expect when one of the songwriters is a JaneDear Girl?