On This Day In 2006: Taylor Swift Releases Debut Single “Tim McGraw”

Author Lauren Hoffman

June 19th, 2023 3:03 PM

LAS VEGAS - MAY 13: Musician Taylor Swift (R) performs in the audience during the rehearsals for the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 13, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On June 19, 2006, Taylor Swift officially released her debut single, “Tim McGraw.” For many, it was an unforgettable day that would impact the lives of people worldwide.

Swift’s “Tim McGraw” was the lead single off her self-titled debut album and 17 years later is still one of the most impactful songs of her career.

The 33-year-old had written the song during her freshman year of high school after a breakup. That is when one of her favorite country stars, the one and only Tim McGraw, came to mind.

“I was dating a guy who was about to go off to college. I knew we were going to break up. So I started thinking about all the things that I knew would remind him of me. Surprisingly, the first thing that came to mind was that my favorite country artist is Tim McGraw,” Swift told CMT in 2006.

Swift met McGraw for the first time at the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards. They have since performed the song together live at events, including CMA Fest in 2013 and the Reputation Tour stop in Nashville in 2018.

Tim McGraw: 30 Songs That Make Him a Country Icon, Ranked

30. “Me and Tennessee” (featuring Gwyneth Paltrow) (2011)
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Not a bad tune at all, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow as she goes country for the movie “Country Strong.”
29. “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me” (with Faith Hill) (1998)
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The song was recorded by Faith Hill as a duet with her husband. It was the second single from Hill's multi-platinum 1998 album, ‘Faith.’
28. “May We All” (with Florida Georgia Line) (2016)
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A great pairing and a solid tune. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in December. It was Tim McGraw's thirty-second top 40 and twenty-second top 30 hit on the pop chart.
27. “Feel Like a Rock Star” (with Kenny Chesney) (2012)
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These guys have been friends for a long time, having met when they first came to Nashville. They sound great together.
26. “Like We Never Loved at All” (with Faith Hill) (2005)
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Another classic duet from Tim and Faith. A tale of coping with a love that has drifted away, the song provided the thematic opening for shows from McGraw and Hill's joint “Soul2Soul II Tour 2006,” with the pair singing it at opposite ends of the stage, with their backs to each other.
25. “Bring On the Rain” (with Jo Dee Messina) (2001)
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A great song where the narrator says that she has had a bad day, but is not let down by it, and is ready for another day as well: "Tomorrow's another day / And I'm thirsty anyway / So bring on the rain."
24. “Let’s Make Love” (with Faith Hill) (2000)
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The song reached number 6 on Hot Country Songs in Billboard. The video was released in black and white, and featured McGraw and Hill in and around Paris.
23. “She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart” (1996)
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Just pure McGraw. This song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.
22. “Just to See You Smile” (1997)
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Having spent 42 weeks on the Billboard chart, it set what was a record at the time for being the longest-running single on the Billboard country chart.
21. “Please Remember Me” (1998)
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It’s hard to get these lyrics out of your head. The song was also McGraw's biggest solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 10.
20. “Grown Men Don’t Cry” (2000)
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This one shows McGraw’s deep emotions when he sings. In the first verse, the narrator pulled into the grocery store, and he saw a boy wrapping around the legs of his mother. She had mascara tears running down her face like an ice cream cone melting, due to the years of bad decisions. That's quite an image.
19. “The Cowboy in Me” (2001)
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Another McGaw song that goes deep. In this song, he is acknowledging the destructive and sometimes selfish side of his personality, which he identifies as "the cowboy in [him].”
18. “She’s My Kind of Rain” (2003)
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Tim’s wife, Faith Hill was featured at the end of the video, as well as their three daughters, Gracie, Maggie and Audrey. It was filmed in London, England, and shows McGraw walking with a cloak on, and him performing the song in a royal dining room of a restaurant.
17. “Something Like That” (1999)
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“I had a barbecue stain on my white t-shirt, she was killing me in that mini skirt,” Enough said. Classic.
16. “Real Good Man” (2003)
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The song notes that he may be a "bad boy," but he is a "real good man."
15. “Last Dollar (Fly Away)” (2007)
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True story about songwriter Big Kenny of Big & Rich and McGraw delivers it to perfection.
14. “Southern Voice” (2009)
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Any song that namechecks Dolly Parton, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt ("Number Three") is pretty special.
13. “Better Than I Used to Be” (2011)
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Originally recorded by Sammy Kershaw a few years before McGraw. Tim’s version went top ten in Billboard, Sammy’s did not.
12. “Highway Don’t Care” (with Taylor Swift) (2013)
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Tim’s duet with Taylor Swift actually addresses how dangerous it is to text and drive. Don’t forget, Taylor Swift’s very first single to country radio was a song called “Tim McGraw.” Also, Keith Urban plays guitar on the song.
11. “Southern Girl” (2013)
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The song is about girls from the South and how beautiful they are. True McGraw.
10. “The Rest of Our Life” (with Faith Hill) (2017)
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A newer duet from Tim and Faith. The song is the title track of McGraw and Hill's duets album ‘The Rest of Our Life,’ and it was written by Ed Sheeran. According to Faith Hill, the song reminded her of the day when she and Tim McGraw decided to get married after meeting McGraw on his “Spontaneous Combustion” tour in 1996.
9. “I Called Mama” (2020)
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Released this past Mother’s Day. His mom appeared in the music video, along with so many other moms.
8. “Undivided” (with Tyler Hubbard) (2021)
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An amazing song about what is happening in the world in 2020 and how we should all come together.
7. “I Like It, I Love It” (1995)
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This song is played at every Nashville Predators hockey game when the Predators score a goal. It’s also super catchy and just fun.
6. “Don’t Take the Girl” (1994)
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Tim’s first big hit and really the song that brought him to country stardom. The song beautifully tells the story of two young lovers dealing with difficult scenarios at three different stages in their lives. In each situation, the man does all he can to make sure that different people "don't take the girl."
5. “I Need You” (featuring Faith Hill) (2007)
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One of the most recognized duets from Tim and his wife Faith Hill.
4. “It’s Your Love” (featuring Faith Hill) (1997)
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Another Tim and Faith classic. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in its fifth week on the chart. The song stayed there for six weeks.
3. “Live Like You Were Dying” (2004)
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A song McGraw recorded after the death of his father, “Tug” McGraw. It tells the story of a man in his early forties who gets the news that his father has an unspecified, life-threatening illness. His father's message is to live life to the fullest and do things that he had always wanted to do.
2. “Humble and Kind” (2016)
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So much can be said for this amazing song. I remember interviewing Tim when this was coming out and being quite touched when he told me he couldn’t get through the song without crying when he recorded it, It took several takes to get it right. The song won a Grammy for Best Country Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
1.”Shotgun Rider” (2014)
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This is my all-time favorite song from McGraw and I’ll share something personal about it: When my son was about eight, we found this song together and as we drove around Nashville, he was always my “Shotgun Rider.” My boy knew every word of the song and I later asked McGraw himself why I couldn’t get this out of my head and he simply said, “Connection. This song gives you connection.” It sure does.

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Author Lauren Hoffman

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On This Day In 2006: Taylor Swift Releases Debut Single “Tim McGraw”

Tim McGraw: 30 Songs That Make Him a Country Icon, Ranked

30. “Me and Tennessee” (featuring Gwyneth Paltrow) (2011)

29. “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me” (with Faith Hill) (1998)

28. “May We All” (with Florida Georgia Line) (2016)

27. “Feel Like a Rock Star” (with Kenny Chesney) (2012)

26. “Like We Never Loved at All” (with Faith Hill) (2005)

25. “Bring On the Rain” (with Jo Dee Messina) (2001)

24. “Let’s Make Love” (with Faith Hill) (2000)

23. “She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart” (1996)

22. “Just to See You Smile” (1997)

21. “Please Remember Me” (1998)

20. “Grown Men Don’t Cry” (2000)

19. “The Cowboy in Me” (2001)

18. “She’s My Kind of Rain” (2003)

17. “Something Like That” (1999)

16. “Real Good Man” (2003)

15. “Last Dollar (Fly Away)” (2007)

14. “Southern Voice” (2009)

13. “Better Than I Used to Be” (2011)

12. “Highway Don’t Care” (with Taylor Swift) (2013)

11. “Southern Girl” (2013)

10. “The Rest of Our Life” (with Faith Hill) (2017)

9. “I Called Mama” (2020)

8. “Undivided” (with Tyler Hubbard) (2021)

7. “I Like It, I Love It” (1995)

6. “Don’t Take the Girl” (1994)

5. “I Need You” (featuring Faith Hill) (2007)

4. “It’s Your Love” (featuring Faith Hill) (1997)

3. “Live Like You Were Dying” (2004)

2. “Humble and Kind” (2016)

1.”Shotgun Rider” (2014)

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