If You’re Lucky, You Lived Adam Craig’s New Song, Too
If you're a '90s child and you didn't mix Tim McGraw with Dr. Dre and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, were you even a '90s child? Adam Craig qualifies, and his new song "If You're Lucky" describes it.
Even with the hip-hop references, the just-released single is a no-doubt-about-it prime country cut. Talking to Taste of Country, Craig shared why he relates to the Chase McGill, Jessi Alexander co-write.
“My first car was a 1990 Honda Accord four door," he says. "I don’t know why I did this, but I put wire wheels on it and bumps in the trunk. We would go cruising the streets of Olympia on Fridays and Saturday nights, literally having playlists with Dr. Dre and Tim McGraw on it and everything in between."
Pressed to prove it, Craig spits Bone Thugs-N-Harmony lyrics out like he's reciting the address of the house he grew up in. If you ever made a mixtape, this song's for you. “That’s how you got girls back then," he says enthusiastically. "You’d make a fire mixtape and give it to a girl. If you weren’t bringing the heat she was not gonna be impressed.”
"If you're lucky you mixed your Dr. Dre with some Tim McGraw, in a Chevrolet / Handed down from your daddy to your brother to you / You ran red lights, stayed away from the blue," Craig sings during the chorus of "If You're Lucky." "If you're lucky you got hammered in a buddy's barn / Got a half-true story, a full-blown scar / Now remember back when it started with it / Now it wasn't all pretty but you lived it / If you're lucky."
Dre, McGraw, Blackhawk, REO Speedwagon, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard would make his mixtape. That's the sound that mixed with great '90s country storytelling he and producer Michael Carter work hard to fine-tune. "If You're Lucky" and "Whatever You're Drinking To" exemplify their shared vision, but so too will the next batch of songs he releases soon. While he didn't write this song, Craig is a prolific songwriter who understands the power of universal experiences.
Look for his next chapter to lean into his experiences.
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