Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
The Beautiful Story Behind Blake Shelton's First-Ever Hit, "Austin"
The former Voice Coach released his debut single in 2001.
In April 2001, a young country music singer named Blake Shelton had a hit right out of the gates with "Austin," the debut single from the former The Voice Coach's debut record. The song stayed atop the country charts for five weeks and set the stage for Shelton's successful career. Here, read about the heart-warming story of "Austin" and why people still love it so much after all these years.
What the lyrics to Blake Shelton's "Austin" are about
"Austin," like many traditional country songs, tells a story. A woman leaves her boyfriend "to clear her mind," and while he figures she's gone to Austin, Texas, she doesn't leave a forwarding number, so his only hope of hearing from her again is that she will call him. Nearly a year later, on a Tuesday, she does, and is surprised to find that the outgoing message on his answering machine that ends, "if this is Austin, I still love you."
The woman hangs up "without saying a word," then calls again on a Friday to give the boy her new phone number. In the third verse, he calls her and she picks up. They've both been in love with each other the whole time, and it's implied that they will soon get back together.
RELATED: Blake Shelton Sings Moving Tribute of Alabama's "Old Flame" for Its Founding Members
The song's choruses take the form of the outgoing messages; in a fun coincidence, No Doubt's 1995 hit "Spiderwebs" uses the same convention, and No Doubt's lead singer Gwen Stefani would go on to not only work with Blake Shelton as a Coach on The Voice, but marry him, too.
Blake Shelton knows his fans love "Austin"
Speaking about his upcoming residency in Vegas, Shelton reassured fans that though he wants to get creative with the set list, he will be playing his earliest hit. "I never want people to leave my shows going, 'S--- man, he didn't do 'Austin,' or I wanted to hear 'God's Country,'" he said.
The song was penned by David Kent and Kirsti Manna, but rapper Post Malone's mother decided to give her first-grader credit for the inspiration.
RELATED: Blake Shelton & Post Malone Sound So Smooth Together on Their Country Duet
“Post’s real name is Austin, and he told me that when he was a kid, his mom told him that that song was written about him,” Shelton told American Songwriter. “That’s what he told me, and he said he believed it. His mom was, I guess, the country music fan in the family, and his dad was the rock guy. So, I guess that’s how Post Malone was created.”
Shelton and Malone would go on to have a hit song together, "Pour Me A Drink."
