Hear Brad Paisley Name-Check George Strait in Twangy New ‘Bucked Off’

Brad Paisley sings one for the perpetually unlucky in love with his new single “Bucked Off,” released on Tuesday. The song is Paisley’s first release since the 2017 single “Heaven South,” which appeared on his LP Love and War.

Penned by Paisley with frequent collaborators Chris DuBois and Kelley Lovelace, “Bucked Off” is an upbeat meditation on the emotional risks of dating and relationships. Paisley makes the comparison that putting oneself in that vulnerable situation feels like riding a bull at the rodeo, with its various attendant risks. “This ain’t a wild bull, it’s just a bar stool / But it’s all I can do to just hang on,” he sings, while the George Strait song on the jukebox suggests it might be better for him to ride off into the sunset. Still, Paisley suggests it’s a worthwhile endeavor in spite of the pain one may have to endure along the way: “When you get bucked off you get back on,” he sings, shrugging off the stories of loss from Strait’s “Marina Del Rey” and “I Can Still Make Cheyenne.”

Love and War, Paisley’s 11th studio album, was released in April 2017 and contained collaborations with Mick Jagger (“Drive of Shame”), John Fogerty (“Love and War”) and Timbaland (“Grey Goose Chase”). Earlier in 2018, Paisley played a concert to benefit the Santa Barbara and Montecito communities in California after wildfires and mudslides devastated the area.

On Wednesday, Paisley will perform at the 2018 CMA Awards in Nashville, where he will also serve as co-host alongside Carrie Underwood for the 11th consecutive year.