Kenny Chesney has another Top 10 hit — his 61st, to be exact — with “Take Her Home.” The song, written by HARDY, Hunter Phelps and Zach Abend is the debut single from his BORN, released in April, and one that was written specifically with him in mind — not that those songs always work out the way the songwriters intended.
“You hear that a lot when people send you songs. ‘We wrote a song with you in mind.,'” Chesney says on Audacy’s Superstar Power Hour (via American Songwriter). “Sometimes it resonates and sometimes it don’t.”
Chesney thought BORN was already completed when he heard “Take Her Home,” and knew right away that it was the addition he needed to include on the album.
“I went, ‘Wow! I’ve been looking for this for a while,'” Chesney recalls. “It’s one of those life-moment songs. I just felt like, in my head, I knew that it was very well done … I knew that there would be a part of this song that would really resonate with [my fans].”
Although Chesney didn’t necessarily plan on going back in the studio to add another song to BORN, he was certain he didn’t want anyone else to record the song but him.
“I drove around in my car and I listened to it over and over,” Chesney says. “I bet I listened to it 15 times in a row. And, I said ‘If I hear this on the radio by someone else, I’m gonna be really mad at myself.’”
When Chesney released “Take Her Home,” he shared his initial reaction to hearing the mid-tempo track.
“When I heard ‘Take Her Home,’ I just laughed,” Chesney said at the time. “It was everything life is made of in less than four minutes. It’s true, honest and all the stuff that’s easy to forget. All those details and little moments? The deep-cut Cheap Trick, the black-and-pink suitcase in the back of the truck, a seven-pound, five-ounce baby?
“That’s what makes these kinds of life changes what they are,” he added “And it’s funny: no matter what stage you’re in, you really are always scared. That’s how you know it’s gonna be worth it.”
Not only did Chesney know right away that he wanted to record “Take Her Home,” but he also knew it was the perfect song to introduce BORN to his fans.
“Every now and then, you find a song that just feels right,” Chesney explained. “There’s an honesty about life that you can’t just churn out. Finding songs that ring true? When you hear one, you grab it – and that’s a lot of how this song happened. We were trying to decide what to lead with, and someone sent me this demo… and I knew. No more discussion. We had the song – and a great time turning it into a record. Real life? There’s nothing like it.”
Watch the video for “Take Her Home” here.
Chesney is currently on his Sun Goes Down Tour, with Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker serving as his opening acts. Find “Take Her Home” and all of Chesney’s music and upcoming shows at KennyChesney.com.