"The Good Stuff" is a song written by Jim Collins and

Craig Wiseman Craig Michael Wiseman is an American Country music songwriter and producer, and the owner/founder of the Big Loud enterprise. He has been writing since the late 1980s, and his songs have been recorded by Lorrie Morgan, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, ...

and recorded by the American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...

. It was released in May 2002 as the second single from his 2002 album ''

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems ''No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems'' is the sixth studio album by American country music singer Kenny Chesney. It was released in April 2002 via BNA Records. It became Chesney's first album to reach number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and pr ...

''. The song was Chesney's fifth number one hit on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot Country Singles & Tracks Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

charts. At the time, it was also his longest-lasting number one, spending seven weeks at that position (a record that has since been tied by his 2003 single "

There Goes My Life "There Goes My Life" is a song written by Wendell Mobley and Neil Thrasher and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Chesney. It was released in October 2003 as the first single from Chesney's 2004 album '' When the Sun Goes Down''. The ...

"). The song also reached number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was named the number one country single of 2002 according to ''Billboard'' Year End.

Content

"The Good Stuff" is a mid-tempo song based on different meanings of the phrase "the good stuff". In the first verse, the narrator explains that he has just had a fight with his wife, so he goes to a bar. Seeing only the bartender in the bar, he then asks for "the good stuff" (i.e., a good alcoholic beverage). The bartender then explains that the "good stuff", which cannot be found at the bar, is the love between a man and woman, and the memories that they make together, such as "dropping the

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

in the spaghetti plate". In the second verse, the narrator and the bartender begin conversing, when the narrator notices a picture on the bar. The bartender explains that the picture is of his wife who died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

eight years ago. He also says that for five years after her death, he began drinking regularly, sobering up only after realizing that the memories of the love that they shared are "the one thing stronger than the whiskey". The bartender, in the song's bridge, then suggests that the male go home and apologize to his wife. "When you get home, she'll start to cry / When she says 'I'm sorry', say 'so am I' / Look into those eyes so deep in love / And drink it up / 'Cause that's the good stuff".

Music video

The music video was directed by

Shaun Silva Shaun Silva is a music video director who works primarily in the country music field. He has directed a number of music videos for many country music artists, including many of Kenny Chesney's music videos. His other clients include Jason Aldean, ...

and was premiered on CMT on April 25, 2002, when CMT named it a "Hot Shot". It consisted of Chesney performing the song in a recording studio, as well as singing in front of a wall containing a few pictures, and shows him at a bar talking to the bartender, which is played by his good friend and manager, Dale Morris.

Chart positions

"The Good Stuff" debuted at number 53 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of May 4, 2002.

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Good Stuff, The 2002 singles 2002 songs Country ballads 2000s ballads Kenny Chesney songs Songs written by Craig Wiseman Songs written by Jim Collins (singer) Music videos directed by Shaun Silva Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles of the year Song recordings produced by Buddy Cannon Song recordings produced by Norro Wilson BNA Records singles