It’s about 11:30 PM. You’re driving. The windows are down, and that specific, funky guitar lick starts buzzing through your speakers. Honestly, you probably know exactly what happens next. Before the first verse even ends, you’re tapping the steering wheel. That’s the magic of the thomas rhett make me wanna lyrics—a song that basically tricked us all into loving disco again without us even realizing it.
Back in 2014, country music was in a weird spot. It was the height of "Bro-Country." Everyone was singing about dirt roads, tan lines, and cold beer in a very specific, heavy-rock-influenced way. Then comes Thomas Rhett. He drops this track that sounds less like a Nashville honky-tonk and more like a lost Bee Gees B-side. It was a massive gamble.
The Bee Gees Influence Nobody Expected
Most people don't know that the thomas rhett make me wanna lyrics were born out of a movie night. Specifically, Thomas was watching Airplane!—yeah, the 80s spoof comedy. There's a scene that parodies Saturday Night Fever, and "Stayin' Alive" started playing.
The next morning, Rhett walked into a writing session with Bart Butler and Larry McCoy. He asked them, "Do you guys know who the Bee Gees are?" He wanted that "Stayin' Alive" vibe but with a country heart. McCoy actually had the title "Make Me Wanna" sitting in his back pocket. They combined that groovy, D-major-7 soul with lyrics about pulling a truck to the side of the road.
The result? A song that technically shouldn't have worked. It’s got a funky, staccato drum beat and piano undertones that scream 1970s disco. But Rhett’s Georgia twang keeps it grounded in the South.
Why the Lyrics Resonate
There is a simplicity to the song that makes it feel timeless. It isn't trying to be a deep philosophical manifesto. It’s a "mood" song.
- The Hook: "You make me wanna / Pull this truck to the side of the road / Slide on over, let me hold you close."
- The Vibe: It captures that specific feeling of being so into someone that you can't even focus on driving.
- The "Country" Staples: Even with the disco beat, you’ve got mentions of FM radio, the man on the moon, and tailgates.
It’s that "get drunk on you with no alcohol" line that really stuck. It’s sweet, it’s a little sexy, and it’s incredibly catchy.
Breaking the Nashville Mold
When this song hit the radio, critics were split. Some loved the "Urban Cowboy" update. Others thought it was too poppy. Bob Paxman from Country Weekly actually compared it to Air Supply and Andy Gibb. He gave it a B+, saying it was "pleasant" but maybe a bit cookie-cutter in its themes.
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But the fans? They didn't care about the labels.
The song climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart by March 2015. It was actually Thomas Rhett's third consecutive chart-topper from his debut album, It Goes Like This. More importantly, it was the first No. 1 he actually co-wrote. That’s a huge milestone for any artist. It proved he wasn't just a singer with a famous dad (Rhett Akins); he was a songwriter with a vision.
The Evolution of the Sound
Before "Make Me Wanna," Thomas Rhett was doing more traditional stuff. Think "Beer with Jesus." That’s a great song, but it’s heavy. This track allowed him to show his "swagger."
In the music video, directed by TK McKamy, Rhett is seen dancing in a tux. He’s admitted multiple times that he’s not a professional dancer and that the video put him way outside his comfort zone. But that’s exactly why people loved it. It felt authentic. It wasn't a polished pop star routine; it was a guy having a blast with his band in Nashville.
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Ten years later, this song still feels fresh. While other "Bro-Country" tracks from 2014 feel dated and a bit loud, the smooth, disco-infused production of this track has aged surprisingly well.
What Most People Miss About the Writing Process
Larry McCoy, one of the co-writers, spent 15 years in the hard construction business before this song changed his life. He’s talked about how they finished the song in about an hour and a half.
Sometimes, the best songs are the ones that just fall out of the sky.
They didn't overthink it. They didn't try to make it "more country" or "more pop." They just followed the groove. Interestingly, the version you hear on the radio isn't exactly the same as the album version. The music video actually uses a version with re-recorded vocals to give it even more of that live, soulful energy.
Actionable Takeaways for Thomas Rhett Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into why this era of country music shifted the way it did, here’s how to truly appreciate the track:
- Listen for the Bass Line: Switch to a pair of good headphones. The bass work by Kevin "Swine" Grantt is what drives the whole song. It’s pure Motown.
- Watch the 2015 ACM Performance: See how Rhett translated that studio "swagger" to a massive stage. It was the moment he solidified himself as an entertainer, not just a singer.
- Check the Credits: Look into Jay Joyce’s production. He’s the guy who helped Eric Church find his "Chief" sound, and his fingerprints are all over the unique sonic texture of this track.
- Compare it to "Crash and Burn": This was the bridge to his next album, Tangled Up. You can see the direct line from the disco-soul of "Make Me Wanna" to the Sam Cooke-inspired vibes of his later hits.
The thomas rhett make me wanna lyrics represent a turning point. They showed that you could be "country" while still wanting to dance. It opened the door for artists like Maren Morris and Walker Hayes to experiment with different genres.
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At the end of the day, it’s a song about a girl and a truck. But because of a midnight movie session and a D-major-7 chord, it became something much bigger. It became a staple of the 2010s that still makes you want to pull the truck to the side of the road today.
To get the full experience of how this song changed Rhett's career, go back and listen to his first three singles in order. You can actually hear him finding his voice, moving from the standard Nashville "box" into the genre-blending artist he is now.