This Is My Dirt Explained

This Is My Dirt
Cover:Justin Moore - This Is My Dirt.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Justin Moore
Album:This Is My Dirt
Released:November 17, 2023
Genre:Country
Length:
  • 3:37 (single version)
  • 4:14 (album version)
Label:Big Machine
Producer:
Prev Title:You, Me & Whiskey
Prev Year:2023
Next Title:Time's Ticking
Next Year:2024

"This Is My Dirt" is a song by American country music singer Justin Moore. It was released on November 17, 2023, as the lead single from his eighth studio album of the same name. The song was written by Moore, Paul DiGiovanni of Boys Like Girls, Randy Montana and Jeremy Stover, who also produced the song with Scott Borchetta.

Background

According to Justin Moore:

"This Is My Dirt," is a song not only about how you grew up, but more specifically, where you grew up, and in particular, where I grew up. The land that I live on – and the land am raising my children on — is the same land that I grew up on. My mom was raised on this land, and it has been in our family since the late 1800s. My great, great grandfather raised my grandfather here. My grandpa inherited the land from him, and then I inherited it from my grandpa. So, it's really special to us, for obvious reasons. But, no matter where you grew up, I think everybody holds a special place in their heart for that place — whether it's a subdivision or thousands of acres. This song is about taking pride in wherever it is that you call "your dirt."[1]

Content

In the song, Justin Moore sings about the hard work that his family has put into taking care of land which they have owned for generations[2] and his refusal to sell the property.[3] The song is composed in the key of C# major with a 4/4 time signature and approximate tempo of 77 beats per minute. It mainly follows the chord progression C-F-G.

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave a positive review of the song, remarking "Defending what you've worked for is an American quality that's universal, and that makes this song from an upcoming project easy to find yourself in. That Moore sings the heck out of it certainly doesn't hurt his chances at scoring another No. 1 hit."

Single and album differences

The original single version runs at 3:37. The album version (which was released on July 26, 2024) runs for 4:14. Two features were deleted from the single version:

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Justin Moore Pens Love Letter to Family’s Century Farm On New Single “This Is My Dirt” . . 12 October 2024 . November 17, 2023.
  2. Web site: Ryan . Aaron . Justin Moore Announces New Single "This Is My Dirt" Dropping Friday . Whiskey Riff . 12 October 2024 . November 14, 2023.
  3. Web site: Dukes . Billy . Justin Moore's 'This Is My Dirt' Reflects Singer's Small-Town Values . Taste of Country . 12 October 2024 . November 22, 2023.