John Anderson – Countrified

About The Song

“Countrified” is a song written by Tom Lazaros. It was recorded by American country music artist John Anderson and released in December 1986 as the second single from his eighth studio album Countrified. The album was issued by Warner Bros. Nashville on October 6, 1986. Jim Ed Norman produced the album, with Anderson also credited as co-producer on some listings. The track runs approximately 3 minutes and 25 seconds to 3 minutes and 28 seconds.

The single was issued under Warner Bros. catalog number 28502. On the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it debuted around early December 1986 and reached a peak of number 44. It also peaked at number 31 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. The parent album Countrified peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

Recording sessions for the album took place at Digital Recorders, The Loft, The Music Mill, and Sound Stage studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Engineering credits associated with the project include George Clinton, Jim Cotton, Lee Groitzsch, Eric Prestidge, and Denny Purcell (mastering). The album marked Anderson’s final studio release for Warner Bros. Records before he moved to MCA Nashville in 1987.

Tom Lazaros is the sole songwriter credited on the title track. “Countrified” appears as the opening track on the original album sequence. Other singles from the same album included “Honky Tonk Crowd” (which reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart) and “What’s So Different About You” (which reached number 55). A music video for “Countrified” was directed by Martin Kahan and released in 1986.

The album Countrified followed Tokyo, Oklahoma (1985) and preceded Blue Skies Again (1987). It features a mix of original material and covers, including Merle Haggard’s “The Fightin’ Side of Me” and the gospel standard “Peace in the Valley.” The project has been reissued on CD by Collectors’ Choice Music in 2007.

Primary sources document consistent songwriting credit to Tom Lazaros, production by Jim Ed Norman, the December 1986 single release, the number 44 Billboard Hot Country Songs peak, the number 31 Canadian peak, and the album’s number 17 placement on the Top Country Albums chart. Official audio is available through the John Anderson YouTube channel and Warner catalog reissues.

The combination of songwriting credit, production details, chart performance as a mid-chart single from the 1986 album, and its position as Anderson’s final Warner Bros. studio release places the recording within his mid-1980s catalog period on the label.

Video

Lyric

I like pretty lights and city nights
And pretty city women to hold me tight
But that won’t change my country side
I’m proud to tell you that I’m countrified

I’m into caviar and long shiny cars
Seeing the stars in the big city bars
But I take all these things in stride
Deep down inside I’m so countrified

Well I love my grits, I love my greens
Country motels and those sweet southern belles
I like fried chicken like a country boy should
And everything that’s finger-licking good
I like to get loud and dance in a crowd
Go out to places where jeans are allowed
So I can feel my country side
I’m proud to tell you I’m so countrified

Well I love my grits, I love my greens
Country motels and those sweet southern belles
I like fried chicken like a country boy should
And everything that’s finger-licking good
I like to get loud and dance in a crowd
Go out to places where jeans are allowed
So I can feel my country side
Deep down inside I’m so countrified

I like pretty lights and city nights
And pretty city women to hold me tight
But that won’t change my country side
I’m proud to tell you that I’m countrified

I’m into caviar and long shiny cars
Seeing the stars in the big city bars
But I take all these things in stride
I’m proud to tell you that I’m so countrified