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In the first verse, the young man (Johnny) is eight years old, about to go on a fishing trip with his father. A young, unnamed girl, apparently Johnny's age, is also present, with a fishing pole in her hand. Johnny does not want the girl to come fishing with them. So he begs his father to "take any
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Verse three takes place five years later. Johnny and the girl are now (presumably) married and expecting their first child, and she is eventually rushed to the hospital to have her baby delivered. The baby, a boy, is safely delivered, but the doctor informs Johnny that his wife is "fading fast".
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In the second verse, they are ten years later. They have fallen in love and are dating. On a date at the "picture show" (i.e., the movie theater), they meet a stranger with a gun. The man grabs the girl's arm and tells Johnny to give in to his demands. Johnny surrenders his money, wallet, credit
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The song tells the story of two young lovers dealing with difficult scenarios at three different stages in their lives. In each situation, the man does all he can to make sure that different entities "don't take the girl".
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Though the song leaves the wife's fate ambiguous, the music video reveals she survived her medical crisis and is seen in the end going fishing with her husband and their son, Johnny Jr.
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cards, a watch that his grandfather gave him, and even his car keys so that the girl would be safe (in the music video, the crook is seen running away with only the wallet).
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Johnny collapses to his knees and prays to God that his wife survives, even asking that his own life be taken instead of hers, as long as she is okay.
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The song ends with a repeat of the song's opening line: "Johnny's daddy was taking him fishin' when he was eight years old".
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chart. It also reached number one on the
Canadian country charts and it was a successful pop song, reaching number 17 on the
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598:"Updated 90s country songs power ranking. 1) Don't Take The Girl - Tim McGraw 2) Neon Moon - Brooks & Dunn 3) The Dā¦"
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magazine reviewed the song favorably, writing that it had the listeners "crying in their beer in the dancehalls down in
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The southern sports personality, Brandon Walker, included the song as his top country hit of the 1990s.
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221:" is a song written by Craig Martin and Larry W. Johnson, and recorded by the American
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recorded a parody of the song, called "Please Take the Girl", on his 1995 debut album
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772:. Vol. 107, no. 3. BPI Communications. January 21, 1995. p. 57.
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235:. It was McGraw's fifth single overall, and his first number-one single on the
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802:"American single certifications ā Tim McGraw ā Don't Take the Girl"
229:. It was released in March 1994 as the second single from his album
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309:". She continues, that once radio has it, the song will take off.
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Hot
Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 2, 1994.
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boy in the world / Daddy, please, don't take the girl".
320:"Don't Take the Girl" debuted at number 71 on the U.S.
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660:"Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot Country Songs)"
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1726:Song recordings produced by Byron Gallimore
532:Sales figures based on certification alone.
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632:. June 20, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
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806:Recording Industry Association of America
1731:Song recordings produced by James Stroud
1741:Music videos directed by Sherman Halsey
1381:It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You
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1178:Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
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679:"RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994"
642:"Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot 100)"
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13:
620:Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2506
14:
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1009:She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart
596:@BWalkerSEC (24 September 2020).
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1016:Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It
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1547:Diamond Rings and Old Barstools
1278:Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2
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909:"What Room Was the Holiday In"
827:"Cledus T. Judd (No Relation)"
764:"Best-Selling Records of 1994"
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1:
732:"Best of 1994: Country Songs"
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561:Cledus T. Judd (No Relation)
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7:
1259:Do You Want Fries with That
1066:Where the Green Grass Grows
630:Library and Archives Canada
554:The country music parodist
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10:
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1721:Brett Young (singer) songs
707:"Billboard Top 100 - 1994"
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16:1994 single by Tim McGraw
1533:Meanwhile Back at Mama's
1461:Better Than I Used to Be
1238:Live Like You Were Dying
1228:Live Like You Were Dying
1116:Some Things Never Change
299:Deborah Evans Price, of
742:Prometheus Global Media
413:Canada Country Tracks (
350:Canada Country Tracks (
1331:If You're Reading This
1317:Last Dollar (Fly Away)
1288:When the Stars Go Blue
1216:Watch the Wind Blow By
1526:Lookin' for That Girl
1202:She's My Kind of Rain
1052:Just to See You Smile
959:Not a Moment Too Soon
928:Not a Moment Too Soon
912:"Welcome to the Club"
232:Not a Moment Too Soon
64:"Welcome to the Club"
50:Not a Moment Too Soon
22:"Don't Take the Girl"
1746:Curb Records singles
1612:The Rest of Our Life
1595:The Rest of Our Life
1473:Two Lanes of Freedom
1417:Felt Good on My Lips
1135:Set This Circus Down
1123:My Next Thirty Years
1002:All I Want Is a Life
995:Can't Be Really Gone
988:I Like It, I Love It
1516:Sundown Heaven Town
1490:One of Those Nights
1145:Grown Men Don't Cry
1102:Something Like That
945:Don't Take the Girl
918:"Two Steppin' Mind"
892:Singles discography
687:. December 12, 1994
470:
219:Don't Take The Girl
194:Don't Take the Girl
1684:Standing Room Only
1674:Standing Room Only
1583:How I'll Always Be
1559:Damn Country Music
1497:Highway Don't Care
1359:Nothin' to Die For
1152:Angry All the Time
1095:Please Remember Me
1085:A Place in the Sun
1073:For a Little While
469:
398:End of year charts
295:Critical reception
285:on his 2023 album
174:singles chronology
1751:Songs about death
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1641:Thought About You
1451:Emotional Traffic
1059:One of These Days
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380:Hot Country Songs
288:Across the Sheets
237:Hot Country Songs
215:
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1716:Tim McGraw songs
1569:Top of the World
1439:Me and Tennessee
1159:The Cowboy in Me
952:Down on the Farm
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709:. Archived from
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481:Certified units
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157:Byron Gallimore
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47:from the album
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604:) – via
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72:March 28, 1994
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1648:I Called Mama
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1624:Here on Earth
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1504:Southern Girl
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1209:Real Good Man
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938:Indian Outlaw
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915:"Memory Lane"
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477:Certification
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445:Country Songs
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1706:1994 singles
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834:. Retrieved
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781:. Retrieved
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746:. Retrieved
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715:. Retrieved
711:the original
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689:. Retrieved
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522:2Ć Platinum
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162:James Stroud
135:Craig Martin
48:
1634:Neon Church
1195:Tiny Dancer
1188:Red Rag Top
836:December 6,
496:(physical)
283:Brett Young
148:Producer(s)
1711:1994 songs
1700:Categories
1483:Truck Yeah
1338:Suspicions
1324:I Need You
1045:Everywhere
1028:Everywhere
978:All I Want
901:Tim McGraw
882:Tim McGraw
717:2010-08-27
569:References
525:2,000,000
517:(digital)
227:Tim McGraw
172:Tim McGraw
41:Tim McGraw
1655:Undivided
1352:Let It Go
1307:Let It Go
1245:Back When
778:0006-2510
769:Billboard
748:August 4,
737:Billboard
691:August 4,
665:Billboard
647:Billboard
583:Billboard
450:Billboard
430:Billboard
408:Position
385:Billboard
367:Billboard
345:position
322:Billboard
302:Billboard
242:Billboard
1662:7500 OBO
1166:Unbroken
831:AllMusic
549:Parodies
504:700,000
77:Recorded
69:Released
884:singles
606:Twitter
483:/sales
474:Region
434:Hot 100
369:Hot 100
250:Content
244:Hot 100
225:artist
207:(1994)
198:(1994)
189:(1994)
91:Country
811:May 5,
783:May 5,
776:
744:. 1994
540:
97:Length
59:B-side
37:Single
1395:Still
602:Tweet
501:Gold
307:Texas
114:Label
86:Genre
838:2022
813:2015
785:2015
774:ISSN
750:2013
693:2013
511:RIAA
490:RIAA
343:Peak
119:Curb
80:1993
684:RPM
668:.
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625:RPM
622:."
456:30
443:US
438:87
427:US
422:67
416:RPM
378:US
373:17
364:US
353:RPM
39:by
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