It was late 2015. Brett Eldredge was standing on the side of a stage at the Kansas Speedway, heart racing, probably adjusting his earpiece, when he turned to his buddy Scooter Carusoe. He didn’t just say hi. He looked at him and said, "I want to write a song called 'Wanna Be That Song'." Then he walked out and sang his set.
That's how it started. No boardroom, no marketing data. Just a gut feeling.
Fast forward a decade, and that track isn't just another notch on the Billboard charts. It’s become a cornerstone of modern country music. Honestly, if you’ve ever sat in your car a little too long just to hear the end of a chorus, you get what he was chasing.
The Story Behind the Lyrics
Brett didn't actually write the song that night in Kansas. It took three months. He sat down with Scooter Carusoe and Ross Copperman, and they dug into what music actually does to people. It’s not just about the radio. It’s about the "soundtrack of your life."
The lyrics are basically a laundry list of moments we all want to be part of. First kisses. Long drives. The kind of melody that "rewinds years." It’s deeply romantic, sure, but it’s also a love letter to the power of a three-minute song. Eldredge has often said this track says everything he ever wanted to say about love and his career. He didn't just want to be a guy on a stage; he wanted to be the background noise to your most important memories.
Chicago, Baseball, and the Music Video
You can’t talk about "Wanna Be That Song" without talking about Wrigley Field. Brett is a massive Chicago Cubs fan. Like, the kind of fan who probably bleeds blue. He convinced the team to let him film the music video inside the empty stadium.
It’s cinematic.
It follows a kid dreaming of the big leagues, mirroring Brett’s own journey from a kid in Paris, Illinois, to a country superstar. The video captures that "walk of life"—from the first base of childhood to the home plate of old age. Seeing him stand in the middle of that historic field, singing about being the one who "gets you high" and "keeps you young," it just clicks.
Why It Topped the Charts
By December 2016, "Wanna Be That Song" hit Number 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. It was his sixth consecutive chart-topper. People weren't just streaming it; they were living it.
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The song has a specific structure that builds. It starts with a simple, almost conversational piano and vocal before the production swells. Ross Copperman, who co-produced it with Brett, knew exactly when to let those guitars kick in. It’s got that soaring, "stadium-ready" feel that defined the Illinois album era.
- Released: May 23, 2016 (as the third single from Illinois)
- Peak: #1 on Billboard Country Airplay
- Sales: Certified Platinum by the RIAA
- Writers: Brett Eldredge, Ross Copperman, Scooter Carusoe
Kinda crazy to think it actually debuted on the charts nearly a year before it was an "official" single, just because fans were buying the album preview so fast.
The Mental Health Connection
While "Wanna Be That Song" is a soaring anthem, it paved the way for the more vulnerable Brett we see today. If you listen to his later work, like the Sunday Drive or Songs About You albums, you can hear the seeds of that honesty.
He recently opened up about his struggles with anxiety and the pressure of the "hit machine." Looking back, "Wanna Be That Song" was the first time he really showed his heart instead of just his "crooner" persona. It wasn't just about being a star; it was about being a person who matters to other people.
Common Misconceptions
People sometimes think this was just a "wedding song." While it's played at roughly a billion weddings every year, Brett originally saw it as a message to his fans. He wanted to be the artist that stayed with them through the hard stuff, not just the "drunk on your love" honeymoon phase.
Another thing? People assume the "high" in the lyrics is literal. It's not. It’s that natural dopamine hit you get when a melody perfectly matches your mood. It’s about the emotional "buzz" of nostalgia.
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Putting the Song to Work for You
If you're a musician or a creator, there’s a massive lesson here. Don’t write for the algorithm. Write for the "speedway moment." Brett had the title before he had a single note of music. He chased the feeling first.
To really appreciate the depth of this track, try this:
- Listen to the acoustic version first. It strips away the "big country" production and lets his baritone do the heavy lifting.
- Watch the music video, but pay attention to the old man at the end. It’s a gut-punch of a reminder that life moves fast.
- Check out his live performance at the Ryman. The way the crowd carries the chorus tells you everything you need to know about why this song survived the 2010s.
Brett Eldredge might be known as "Mr. Christmas" now because of his massive holiday tours, but "Wanna Be That Song" is his real legacy. It’s the track that proved he wasn't just a voice—he was a storyteller.
Actionable Insight: Next time you’re building a playlist for a major life event, look for songs that don't just "sound good" but actually capture a specific emotion or era of your life. Like Brett intended, choose music that acts as a bookmark for your memories, ensuring that when you hear it years from now, you’re instantly transported back to who you were in that exact moment.