Why Tim McGraw Was ‘Not Getting in a Pissin’ Match With George Strait’

Find out why country star Tim McGraw did not want to go toe to toe with the legendary George Strait.

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On Tuesday, May 20, country star Tracy Lawrence dropped the latest episode of his podcast, TL’s Road House, featuring fellow country superstar Tim McGraw. The two came up in country together in the 1990s and started reminiscing about their songs and what it’s like to age as a singer.

But a fan asked McGraw if there was a “song that somebody else cut that you wished you had or slipped through your fingers somehow?”

McGraw said, “There were songs that I passed on and songs that I thought were hits that I sent on to other people and thought that it’d be better for them,” but there was one time when he wanted a song pretty badly but did not want to go toe to toe with country legend George Strait about it.

“The only song [I really missed out on] is ‘Carrying Your Love With Me,’ George Strait song,” recalled McGraw.

“It just so happened that one of the songwriters pitched it to him and one of the songwriters pitched it to me at the same time,” said McGraw. “So I put it on hold and he put it on hold and then it got back to me that George had it on hold and I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not gettin’ in a pissin’ match with George Strait.’”

He concluded, “So that’s one of the ones I hate missing out on ’cause that’s one of my favorite George Strait songs.”

McGraw also talked about how his songwriting has changed a bit as he has gotten older because songs tend to reflect your life — and the 58-year-old singer is not a 25-year-old dude going to tailgate parties anymore.

“I try to do fun songs [even now], but it’s harder the older you get…you don’t want to sing about tailgates and bikinis when you’re 58 years old,” said the father of three daughters with a laugh.

“I still write for every record. I have these ideas of the types of songs that I want to write,” said McGraw, but “the clock is ticking” on being a success because the younger guard has come into their own in the past 20 years.

McGraw and Lawrence also reflected on how, when they were coming up in the 1990s, a lot of the old guard weren’t particularly nice to them because there was some resentment there. But they did say the late George Jones was very kind. Lawrence said he would take the guys out and talk to them about the business.

But because of that, McGraw and Lawrence have tried to be welcoming and helpful to up-and-comers. They “don’t want to be that guy” who can’t appreciate and be happy for the younger singers.