Knee Deep

"Knee Deep"
Single by Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett
from the album You Get What You Give
Released	May 9, 2011 (See release history)
Format	Music download
Genre	Country, Gulf and Western
Length	3:23
Label	Atlantic Bigger Picture Music Group Southern Ground
Writer(s)	Zac Brown Wyatt Durrette Coy Bowles Jeffrey Steele
Producer(s)	Keith Stegall
Zac Brown Band chronology
"Colder Weather" (2011) "Knee Deep" (2011) "Keep Me in Mind" (2011)

"Knee Deep" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band with Jimmy Buffett. It was released in May 2011 as the third single from the Zac Brown Band's second major-label album, 2010's You Get What You Give. It reached number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for one week in August 2011. The song is about laying back and having no worries (lyrics say: "Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair.")

Background and writing

Co-writer Wyatt Durrette told the website Taste of Country that he has been a longtime fan of Jimmy Buffett and that he wanted to write a beach-themed song. He based the first verse on a breakup. Durrette brought the song to Brown, who helped him complete the second verse and melody. After neither of them could come up with a bridge, they brought the song to Jeffrey Steele, who helped them complete it.^[1]

Critical reception

Steve Morse of the Boston Globe called the song "festive" and a "highlight" of the album.^[2] Country Weekly reviewer Jessica Phillips said that the song was "happy-go-lucky" but "sounds like a derivation of the band's own hit 'Toes'."^[3] Eric R. Danton of the Hartford Courant called it "exactly the kind of song you'd expect to hear Jimmy Buffett sing, but with more mandolin."^[4] Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B+ rating, saying that the song "lacks spunk but radiates the same sea-breezy blissfulness" as "Toes".^[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Darren Doane. It was filmed in Careyes, Mexico. The video features actress Juliette Lewis.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2011) Peak position US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[7] 18 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8] 42 Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position US Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 12 US Billboard Hot 100[10] 80

Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Canada (Music Canada)[11] Gold 40,000 United States (RIAA)[12] 2× Platinum 2,181,000[13] ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Date	Region	Format
May 9, 2011	United States	Country radio
July 18, 2011		Adult contemporary

References

1. Conaway, Alanna. "Zac Brown Band, ‘Knee Deep’ – Lyrics Uncovered". Taste of Country. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
2. Morse, Steve (2010-09-20). "Zac Brown Band, 'You Get What You Give' - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
3. Phillips, Jessica (2010-09-17). "You Get What You Give : Zac Brown Band - Reviews - Country Weekly Magazine". Country Weekly. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
4. Danton, Eric R. (2010-09-21). "You Get What You Give : Zac Brown Band - Reviews - Country Weekly Magazine". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
5. Coyne, Kevin John (July 12, 2011). "Summer Single Reviews Round-Up: Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Jerrod Niemann, Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley". Country Universe. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
6. "Zac Brown Band – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Zac Brown Band.
7. "Zac Brown Band – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Zac Brown Band.
8. "Zac Brown Band – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Zac Brown Band.
9. "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
10. "Best of 2011: Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
11. "Canadian single certifications – Zac Brown Band – Knee Deep". Music Canada. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
12. "American single certifications – Zac Brown Band – Knee Deep". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 10, 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
13. Paul Grein (June 25, 2014). "Chart Watch: Maroon 5 Beats Coldplay". Chart Watch (Yahoo Music).