Sacred Ground (song)

"Sacred Ground" is a country music song, co-written and originally recorded by Kix Brooks, one half of American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. A second version was recorded three years later by the country music band McBride & the Ride.

Content

The song's protagonist is talking to another man, who plans to commit adultery with the protagonist's wife.^[1] In the first verse, the singer tells of how he married at an early age, and had to work various jobs to sustain his family. He defends his bond with his wife, eventually stating to the other man, "We were joined in the eyes of the Lord / In the eyes of our hometown / Why don't you leave her alone / You're treadin' on sacred ground".

Kix Brooks version

Kix Brooks' version was released two years prior to the formation of Brooks & Dunn. It was the second single released from his 1989 album Kix Brooks. Kix' version reached a peak of #89 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, marking his last chart entry until 1991, when Brooks & Dunn made their debut with "Brand New Man", the first of four consecutive Number One singles for the duo.

McBride & the Ride version

Three years after Kix's version charted, McBride & the Ride recorded their own version of "Sacred Ground". It was released as the lead-off single to the band's second album, also titled Sacred Ground. The song reached a peak of #2 on the U.S. Billboard country charts (having been blocked from Number One by Billy Ray Cyrus' debut single "Achy Breaky Heart"^[1]). "Sacred Ground" did, however, reach Number One on the Radio & Records country music charts.

References

• Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.