Chase Rice Releases ‘Joe,’ One of His Favorite Songs He’s Ever Written

Chase Rice has just released what he claims to be one of his favorite songs he’s ever written. Out now, “Joe,” is a heartfelt tribute to lifelong friendship and the bonds built through shared memories, traditions and difficult moments.

The country star revealed he had written the heartfelt tribute to his “Carolina boys” about a year ago while sitting in a duck blind. He recalled feeling overwhelmed with gratitude while watching the sun come up surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends who have had such an impact on his life over the years. This led him to realize that it’s a rare blessing to still have some of the same friendships that he did in his teens, despite going down such different paths in life.

He stated, “Grateful for the years I’ve lived and all the people who have made my life so awesome. Grateful for the ducks, the dogs that get em, and all the conversations had sitting in that blind… I thank God every day that I get to do music for a living, and that I can turn these stories into songs.” 

Thus, “Joe” was born. He recorded the track in his living room with a full band but also chose to release an acoustic version to capture the true depth of the emotional narrative.

“Whichever one you like don’t matter to me, hope you love both,” Rice noted.

The solo-written track opens by taking listeners back to 2004, when Rice and his fellow teammates came just one game short of another championship win for their football team. That loss marked what he describes as the “end of an era,” but it also became the starting point for a story about the friendships that continued long after their days on the field ended.

He brings that moment to life with the famed “Good Better Best” chant, which originated with Rice’s state champion high school football team and has since been embraced by the Chicago Bears, as chronicled on ESPN’s NFL Countdown. The song goes on to follow the group through annual trips, shared traditions and one friend’s difficult cancer diagnosis, ultimately showing that their bond has always meant more than the games they played or the teams they cheered for.

At the end of each chorus, the diamond-certified songwriter unveils the realization that at the end of the day, “the damn thing wasn’t about football” or “ducks” or “baseball at all.”

While the song celebrates the entire group of friends, Rice explains that the title is a nod to the person who is always the one to hold the group together.

“Everybody needs a Joe in their life – that person who brings everyone together, who shows up when it matters most and who you know you can count on through the good times and the hard times,” he shared. “I’m lucky to have this group of guys in my corner, and I hope everybody listening can think about who their ‘Joe’ is, too.”

“Joe” will not only resonate with anyone lucky enough to have lifelong friends who have been there since day one, but also those who have found someone along the way who sticks by their side through every high and low.