1. “Wake Up Little Susie” by The Everly Brothers (1958)
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Written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
"The Every Brothers," who were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 had massive success in the 50s with their harmony focused songs: "All I Have to Do is Dream," "Bye Bye Love," and "Wake Up Little Susie." "Wake Up Little Susie," featured in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time had a controversial upbringing as it was initially banned in Boston in 1957; however, it still became the Everly Brothers' first number one. The premise of the song is two lovers who disobey their parents' orders by staying out at the drive-in too late. The song that blurs the line between country-pop and rockabilly has since been covered by Simon and Garfunkel and the Grateful Dead.
Key Lyrics: "Wake up little Susie and weep / The movie's over, it's four O'clock/ And we're in trouble deep" "Well I told your mama that you'd be in by ten / Well Susie baby looks like we goofed again"
2. “I Really Got the Feeling” by Dolly Parton (1978)
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Written by Billy Vera
Dolly Parton, who rose to prominence in the early 70s, released “I Really Got the Feeling” as a B-side on her RCA Nashville record, “Heartbreaker.” The ballad was very popular among country listeners as it became Parton’s tenth number one hit. Although it didn’t cause much controversy among the country community, it did pave the way for female country artists to sing about falling in love with a boy regardless of what their parents might think.
Key Lyrics: “I love my daddy but it really don’t matter what my daddy say / I really got the feeling that I’ll love you ’til my dying day”
3. “She’s In Love With The Boy” by Trisha Yearwood (1991)
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Written by John Ims
Trisha Yearwood’s debut single and first number one, “She’s In Love With A Boy,” proves that young rebellious love might not be a bad thing after all. The song piggybacks off the, “my daddy doesn’t approve” theme and even alludes to the Everly Brothers concept of messing around during a drive in movie. After they sneak home late and the father gets mad, Yearwood throws the listener curveball when her mother reminds the father that they acted the same way when they were young.
Key Lyrics: “Her daddy says he ain’t worth a lick / When it comes to brains, he got the short end of the stick / But Katie’s young and man, she just don’t care” / She’d follow Tommy anywhere”
4. “Ain’t Going Down ‘(Til the Sun Comes Up)” by Garth Brooks (1993)
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Written by Kent Blazy, Kim Williams, and Garth Brooks
Two years after his background singer and eventual wife released "She's in Love With the Boy," Garth Brooks released the rebellious "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" which was the first single off the record and peaked at number one. The fast paced, fiddle driven song is about two crazy teenagers having the night of their life, getting the girl grounded, and sneaking out the next night. The infectiously fun song is still a staple of Brooks' intense 2015 live show.
Key Lyrics: "Ain't going down 'til the sun comes up / Ain't givin' in 'til they get enough" "They say she's grounded 'til she's dead / Well here he comes around the bend / Slowing down, she's jumping in / Hey mom, you're daughter's gone / And there they go again"
5. “Jacob’s Ladder” by Mark Wills (1996)
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Written by Cal Sweat, Brenda Sweat, and Tony Martin
Although “Jacob’s Ladder” is the first song that wasn’t a number one on this list, that doesn’t make it a great, well-written song. The main hook is a play on the biblical reference to Jacob’s Ladder in the Book of Genesis. Mark Wills’ pop-country debut single tells a Romeo and Juliet kind-of story about a poor boy named Jacob who falls in love with a girl named Rachel. Rachel’s dad doesn’t approve of Jacob but that doesn’t stop him. The second verse reveals that the two get married and have a daughter. This story, like Trisha Yearwood’s, shows that young love can always triumph regardless of parental disapproval.
Key Lyrics: “Her daddy said he wouldn’t stand / For Rachel to waste her life with a common man / He tried hard to keep them apart / But you can’t draw lines in a young girl’s heart” “And gettin’ caught didn’t seem to matter / ‘Cause heaven was waitin’ at the top of Jacob’s ladder”
6. "What Was I Thinkin'” by Dierks Bentley (2003)
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Written by Deric Ruttan, Brett Beavers, and Dierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley’s country-pop debut single, “What Was I Thinking” could not have done better as it immediately skyrocketed to the number one slot. Standing on the shoulders of many great rebellious songs, Bentley co-wrote a surefire hit. Much like Garth Brooks’ “Ain’t Going Down (’Til the Sun Comes Up,” the fast pace song depicts a fun eventful evening with his lady; however, this time Bentley takes the theme to new levels. The song includes Bentley peeling out of the driveway while the girl’s father “peppers his tailgate,” running from the cops (successfully might I add), getting in a bar fight, and running from the girl’s dad again. Do you think the Everly Brothers would have approved of this song?
Key Lyrics: “Her daddy came out wavin’ that twelve gage / We tore out the drive he peppered my tailgate / What was I thinkin’?” “By the county line the cops were nipping on our heels / Pulled off the road and put it into four-wheel”
7. “Suds in the Bucket” by Sara Evans (2003)
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Written by Billy Montana and Tammy Wagoner
In “Suds in the Bucket,” Sarah Evans depicts the ultimate act of teenage rebellion, running away. Like most country songs about running away, the 18-year-old female character follows a boy out of town without telling her parents why. They eventually end up in Las Vegas. After following the rebellious trend for decades, would you be surprised if she ran away because her dad didn’t approve? It was bound to happen. The 2003 single was Evans’ 3rd number one.
Key Lyrics: “Her folks shoulda seen it coming’ / It was only just a matter of time / Plenty old enough and you can’t stop love” “She left the suds in the bucket / And her clothes hangin’ out on the line”
8. “Two Pink Lines” by Eric Church (2006)
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Written by Eric Church and Victoria Shaw
Although Church’s second single, “Two Pink Lines,” didn’t make much of an impact on the country charts, you should still give it a chance. Branding himself as a bad boy since his first album Sinners Like Me, Church clearly tries portray himself as a rebel facing a common consequence of young love: unplanned pregnancy. In the story, he sings about running to the store with his gal to wait on a pregnancy test. He knows her dad will kill him and contemplates running away with the girl. Eric Church’s rebellious song does a great job of keeping the listener engaged, wondering whether or not she gets pregnant. You’ll just have to listen to find out.
Key Lyrics: “Yeah we’ll know the truth in three minutes time / Sittin’ around waiting on two pink lines” “Yeah her Daddy’s gonna kill me and that’s a fact / maybe we’ll just leave town and never come back”
9. “God Love Her” by Toby Keith (2008)
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Written by Toby Keith and Vicky McGehee
“God Love Her,” another pop country runaway song, became Toby Keith’s 18th number one hit. It plays on the irony that a rebellious girl, who happens to be a preacher’s daughter, saves the singer’s “soul from the devil.” The two travel across the country on his motorcycle and end up in California. Although she left her religious father and old life behind, she still clings on to the Bible (literally).
Key Lyrics: "She's a rebel child / And a preacher's daughter / She was baptized in dirty water" "She holds tight to me and the Bible / On the back seat of my motorcycle"
10. “Love Story” by Taylor Swift (2008)
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Written by Taylor Swift
Rarely do you find a recent chart topping song in the country music format written by only one person; however, that didn’t stop Taylor Swift. After her parents told her she couldn’t date a guy when she was seventeen, she went up to her room and wrote “Love Story.” This song could not represent the struggle for independence better as it is about the struggle of Romeo and Juliet. Swift perfectly romanticizes the struggle and it’s clearly written for her young audience. By the end of the song, they meet outside of town and Romeo proposes to Swift and we get a happy ending!
Key Lyrics: “You were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles / And my daddy said stay away from Juliet” “Romeo, save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel / This love is difficult but it’s real”
11. "Young Love" by Kip Moore (2013)
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Written by Kip Moore, Dan Couch, and Westin Davis
Who would’ve thought that after three hit songs off of his debut album that Kip Moore’s single, “Young Love,” would tank? Following the pop-country theme of nostalgia for being young and rebellious, “Young Love” peaked at number 22 on the country airplay chart; however, like the other songs on this list that underperformed on the charts, that doesn’t make it a bad song. Moore’s song hits home at the idea that young love is the only thing that matters to teenagers. It resurrects nostalgia for the feeling that teenage romance will last forever and nothing can stop it, even parental disapproval.
Key Lyrics: “Your daddy thought I was wrong for you / Thinking back your mom did too / Two wrongs never felt so right” “But I’d pull into your neighbors drive and cut the lights / And you’d slide on over, on over and we’d ride”
12. "Young and Wild" by Zac Brown Band (2015)
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Written by Amos Lee, Zack Brown, Coy Bowles, Wyatt Durrette, and Niko Moon
Although it hasn’t been released to country radio as a single yet, it is bound to be a hit. With a melody reminiscent of Hall and Oates’ “Rich Girl,” “Young and Wild” focuses on the looking back aspect of young love. The coolest part about this song is that each chorus tells a different story every time about the couple being young and wild and “living in the moment.” It talks about how the best part of being young and in love is feeling alive and you definitely get that feeling through the production of this song.
Key Lyrics: “When I look back I just smile / We were young and wild” “Wild child nothing that could stop us / Parking in the cut and fogging up the windows / Oh, you made me feel so alive” “Do you still remember / Skip school, drink and get high agenda”
Since the Everly Brothers released "Wake Up Little Susie," the topic of the young love and teenage rebellion in country music has become more acceptable. It has even become a commonly romanticized topic that solidified itself as a cliché by the beginning of the 2000's. It's these kinds of songs that take us back to the good 'ol days and make us wish we were a little bit more rebellious as teenagers.
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