Tim McGraw Finally Reveals The Fate Of The Characters In His Hit Song, “Don’t Take The Girl”

With a staggering 49 #1 hits, 11 certified platinum albums, three Grammy awards and a combined 25 ACM and CMA wins, Tim McGraw is undeniably one of the most decorated artists in country music history. With a career now spanning four decades, the Louisiana native has scored chart-toppers in each decade. From “I Like It, I Love It” and “Just To See You Smile” in the ’90s, to “Live Like You Were Dying” and “Angry All the Time” in the 2000s, to “Humble and Kind” and “Shotgun Rider” in the 2010s, McGraw’s discography is nothing short of extensive.

With that being said, however, there’s one song in particular that has sparked more conversation than the rest since its release. That song, of course, is none other than “Don’t Take The Girl.”

Written by Craig Martin and Larry W. Johnson, “Don’t Take The Girl” was released on March 28, 1994, as McGraw’s fifth career single. Coming directly off the heels of “Indian Outlaw,” which became his first Top 10 hit, the track continued the 58-year-old singer/songwriter’s path towards superstardom at the time and became his first career #1 on May 28, 1994.

Of course, the song has remained a quintessential piece of McGraw’s discography over the past three decades for good reason. Referred to as one of the saddest tracks of its time period, “Don’t Take The Girl” follows the protagonist, Johnny, and his girlfriend throughout their budding relationship.

What has always stood out is the evolution of the phrase, “don’t take the girl,” throughout the song. First being used by Johnny in direct opposition to his future wife going on a fishing trip when they were eight years old, the phrase quickly changes meaning in the second chorus when the pair are robbed at gunpoint. Instead of “don’t take the girl” being a dismissal of the unnamed woman, it instead becomes a plea for her life, telling the gunman to take everything but her.

The first two verses and choruses set the stage for one of the most famous plot twists in country music, with the third verse and chorus reading:

“Same old boy, same sweet girl
Five years down the road
There’s gonna be a little one and she
Says, “It’s time to go”
Doctor says, “The baby’s fine
But you’ll have to leave
‘Cause his momma’s fadin’ fast” and
Johnny hit his knees

And there he prayed

Take the very breath you gave me
Take the heart from my chest
I’ll gladly take her place if you’ll let me
Make this my last request
Take me out of this world
God, please, don’t take the girl”

For decades, there have been hot debates over the fate of the woman in the song. Taking it at face value, it’s technically open-ended, with McGraw and Co. never explicitly stating whether the narrator got his final wish of God not taking her. With that being said, however, it can be inferred that she didn’t make it due to the song repeating its opening line to close rather than giving any conclusion on her health.

In the music video, it can be argued that she actually survives, given that she can be seen with Johnny fishing with their son (after all, it could simply be a dream sequence), but McGraw himself seems to think otherwise.

In a recent interview with Bobby Bones on The Bobby Bones Show, the “Something Like That” singer was asked about the song’s ending. Though he didn’t explicitly state her fate, McGraw made it clear that she most likely died delivering the child.

“The mom? I think the mom probably dies… It makes it more sad, right? I was rooting for her too, but sadly, I don’t think she made it.”

Well, there you have it straight from McGraw’s mouth. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise given the context in the song, but his comments should put the decades-long debate on whether or not she survived to rest now.

Watch here:

@bobbybonesshowTim McGraw just confirmed what we all suspected about Don’t Take the Girl… the mom doesn’t make it. Why do country songs always hit us right in the feels like that?♬ original sound – Bobby Bones Show

“Don’t Take The Girl”

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