FAYETTEVILLE — Country music artist Chris Stapleton released a single titled "Arkansas" on Thursday, and in it the Grammy Award winner makes reference to the Razorbacks.
In the second verse, Stapleton sings, "When we lit out of Fayetteville, they were calling the Hogs." He also mentions Little Rock and West Memphis, the White River and the Ozark Mountains in the upbeat, 2-minute, 58-second tune.
According to TasteofCountry.com, Stapleton wrote the song after driving across Arkansas in a car his wife purchased in Oklahoma City. The couple lives in Tennessee.
Stapleton began performing the song at his live shows last year and will include it on his upcoming album "Starting Over," which is scheduled to be released Nov. 13.
References to Southern college sports teams are common in country music. Among the songs that have previously made reference to the Razorbacks are Brad Paisley's 2015 single "Country Nation," and radio edits to Justin Moore's 2009 "Small Town USA" and Buddy Jewell's 2003 "Sweet Southern Comfort."
Moore and Jewell grew up in Arkansas.