1. “Fish” by Craig Campbell
We’re starting off strong with this raunchy tune about an angler’s revelation: his girlfriend loves to fish as much as he does. Campbell playfully, suggestively builds a rhyme scheme driving us toward an explicit punchline, only to undercut it all: “I had everything we needed in the bed of my truck / Turns out my baby loves to FISH!” He pulls off this bawdy country humor with lyrics clever enough to excuse the crudeness (we the listeners are the ones with our heads in the mucky gutter). For an extra chuckle, check out the 2011 music video where a bewildered Campbell strums his guitar knee-deep in pond water.
2. “Something Fishy” by Dolly Parton
Keeping up with the fishing wordplay, the sixth track off Parton’s debut album casts a suspicious eye on a lover’s fishing excursions. In classic Dolly fashion, the result is lyrically sharp and sure-footed, taking pleasure in its own humor even while addressing the serious subject of an affair. Parton isn’t fooled by her partner’s angling alibi, raising her eyebrows at his empty creel and the lipstick stain on his shirt (“I guess some large-mouth bass left [it],” she quips). Her crackling wit and clear, youthful voice create a country classic full of memorable lines: “There’s something fishy going on / On these fishing trips you’re going on.”
3. “I’m Gonna Miss Her” by Brad Paisley
Paisley has multiple fishing-themed hits, and this humorous number is one of his best. The song about clashing domestic interests starts with a slow, somber description of his partner’s ultimatum: it’s me or the fish. The tempo lifts with a peal of good-natured steel guitar and cymbals, where Paisley’s choice is revealed through the titular punchline: “I’m gonna miss her / When I get home.” Each time Paisley gets anywhere near regret, he becomes distracted by the task at hand: “Oh look-ie there, I’ve got a bite.” We hear you, Brad. The tug truly is the drug — a panacea for even the most acute cases of heartache.
4. “Shut Up and Fish” by Maddie & Tae
The angler in this song and her date have very different ideas for their fishing excursion. Full of lyrical barbs and a sharp hook, the song finds its subject seated with a man less interested in fish than she: “I could tell pretty fast / He had more than just bass on his mind.” Her frustration grows as her date keeps sliding close and reaching for her reeling hand. Finally, she gives voice to her anger with the clear-cut command: “Shut up and fish.” Her companion doesn’t quite get the message, though, and she’s forced to literally throw cold water on the unrequited flame: “Just a little push / Because he couldn’t just shut up and fish.”
5. “Livin’ Part of Life” by Eric Church
Church has a song for every season of life and flicker of emotion; of course this jaunty tune about escaping the daily slog hits the spot. He toys with the iconic image of the “Gone fishing” sign, fashioning a piece of figurative signage to hang “on the door of [his] life.” His solution to the doldrums – taking himself on a fishing trip – might sound familiar to any angler who has taken to the water to flee a to-do list. Church hops off the daily hamster wheel and “raises his sail,” safely leaving his troubles ashore. Feeling in need of a similar reset? These guided excursions can launch you into the livin’ part of life.
6. “Blue Marlin Blues” by George Strait
Even the King of Country gets down on his fishing luck. Strait’s bluesy story about an unsuccessful bid at a marlin proves relatable to any thwarted angler. Strait and his buddies set out with high hopes, but after seven hours and nothing to show for it, morale is low. The song features a play-by-play account of his tussle with pure pelagic power: “He knocked it out of the clip / And I fed him some line / I locked it up and I began to wind.” Unfortunately, the scene ends with the fish spitting the bait back in Strait’s direction and disappearing into the depths. The speedy wriggle of his retreating body is mimicked in a neat fiddle lick returning us to the chorus.
7. “Bad Day of Fishin’” by Billy Currington
Conditions are less than ideal for Currington and his companions on the fishing outing in question. The weather refuses to cooperate, and a would-be catch makes off with Currington’s pole. Even so, he remains steadfast in his philosophy: “A bad day of fishing / Beats a good day of anything else.” (Yes, you can buy t-shirts with this slogan.) Currington wonders if he should conform to the rest of the world’s schedule, but decides that “workin’ on a pretty good buzz” is better than working on the clock. Besides, in today’s world of catch-and-release recreation, it’s not the worst outcome that “Tonight’s fish fry is gonna taste like chicken.”
8. “Don’t It Sound Alright” by Adam Doleac
This breezy, feel-good song proposes the perfect angling date night. Doleac beckons his partner to join him “Where the boat meets the water / Where the sun sinks down on a line and a bobber.” There, he’ll pop a bottle of red wine in a truck bed and revel in the simple things: the sound of the crickets, the clasp of his lover’s hand. Sure, the fishing might be more of a backdrop to the romance, but the song is a reminder that not all fishing dates have to end with someone getting pushed in the water. Simple and slightly saccharine, the lyrics become romantic and even a little touching over the smooth, satisfying melody.
9. “Where I Find God” by Larry Fleet
In this rousing song about encountering the divine all around him, Fleet stages a serene scene in a boat: “That day out on the water, when the fish just wouldn’t bite / I put my pole down, I floated around, it was just so quiet.” In the moment of stillness, he recalls the wisdom of his father: “And I could hear my old man sayin’ ‘Son, just be still / ‘Cause you can’t find peace like this in a bottle or a pill.’” Fleet’s words recall other accounts of enlightenment found while fishing (there’s an exquisite passage on night fishing and the cosmos in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden). You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the image of angling tranquility or Fleet’s later references to finding peace in a deer stand.
10. “Hell of a Way to Go” by Riley Green
Green is a noted outdoorsman, and the passion appears to run in his family. This 2022 release details a conversation, real or imagined, between a father and son, where the father envisions an end to life doing all of his favorite things: sitting on a porch swing with his wife, cheering on the Alabama football team (Roll Tide), or fishing for bass. If he had it his way “when [his] time comes,” he’d be “Sittin’ on a lake like glass / Catchin’ largemouth bass / Just my boy and me.” The shared experience on the water ranks among the most precious moments in his life, one returned to again and again in each refrain of the chorus.
