Anything Like Me

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"Anything Like Me"
Single by Brad Paisley
from the album Hits Alive
ReleasedAugust 16, 2010 (2010-08-16)
GenreCountry
Length4:13 (original version)
4:29 (Hits Alive Version)
LabelArista Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Frank Rogers
Brad Paisley singles chronology
"Water"
(2010)
"Anything Like Me"
(2010)
"This Is Country Music"
(2010)

"Anything Like Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Brad Paisley. Originally included on his 2009 album American Saturday Night, the song was released in August 2010 as the lead-off single from his compilation album Hits Alive.[1] Paisley wrote this song with Dave Turnbull and Chris DuBois.

Content[edit]

The song is from the perspective of an anxious father-to-be who discovers that he and his wife will soon have a son, and instantly begins fretting over what will happen if his son is like he was when he was young. He envisions his son climbing a tree too tall, riding his bike too fast, and trying to melt a Tonka truck with a magnifying glass. As the song nears its end, he slowly becomes more optimistic, concluding that "there's worse folks to be like".

Critical reception[edit]

Janet Goodman of Engine 145 gave the song a "thumbs up," saying that its humor would make it connect with listeners and comparing it thematically to "Letter to Me."[1] Chris Neal of Country Weekly thought that the song was one of several to address Paisley's family.[2] Reviewing the album for The New York Times, Ben Ratliff thought that the song was "so much smarter" for expressing the anxiety associated with raising a son.[3] Leeann Ward of Country Universe gave the song a B+ grade, saying that the strongest part of the song is the "understated production that is almost all acoustic with the electric instruments still being gentle and unobtrusive."[4]

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Canada Country (Billboard)[5] 1
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[6] 66
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 48
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2010) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 51
Chart (2011) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[10] 90

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Janet Goodman (August 12, 2010). "Brad Paisley — "Anything Like Me"". Engine 145. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  2. ^ Chris Neal (July 6, 2009). "American Saturday Night review". Country Weekly. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  3. ^ Ben Ratliff (June 28, 2009). "Brad Paisley: American Saturday Night". The New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  4. ^ Leeann Ward (August 10, 2010). "American Saturday Night review". Country Universe. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
  5. ^ "Brad Paisley Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Brad Paisley Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  7. ^ "Brad Paisley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  8. ^ "Brad Paisley Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  9. ^ "Best of 2010: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2010. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  10. ^ "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.