About The Song
“Give It Away” is a mid-tempo country ballad written by Jamey Johnson, Bill Anderson, and Buddy Cannon. It was recorded by George Strait as the lead single from his twenty-fourth studio album, It Just Comes Natural, released on October 3, 2006, by MCA Nashville. Produced by Tony Brown and George Strait, the track features a traditional country arrangement with steel guitar, fiddle, and Strait’s understated vocal style, clocking in at 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
The single was officially released on July 8, 2006, after being sent to radio in late June. It debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 48 and climbed to number one on September 30, 2006, spending one week at the top. This marked Strait’s 41st number-one hit on the chart, surpassing Conway Twitty’s previous record of 40. The song spent 20 weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart and crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 35. In Canada, it also reached number one on the country chart.
The narrative follows a man whose wife is leaving him after constant arguments. As she points out shared possessions—a honeymoon photo from Frisco Bay, their king-size bed, and even her diamond ring—she instructs him to “give it away,” declaring nothing in the house worth fighting over. In the end, he keeps everything material but is left with a broken heart full of love he “can’t even give it away.” The song’s inspiration stemmed from co-writer Jamey Johnson’s personal divorce experience during a period of personal struggles.
The track earned significant accolades, winning Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards. It also took Song of the Year at the 2007 Country Music Association Awards and received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 2008. Critics praised its timeless quality; Billboard’s Deborah Evans Price called it “a leavin’ song that would’ve worked in any decade.”
A notable cover came in 2009 when Jamey Johnson performed it as a duet with Lee Ann Womack during the televised George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert. The song has appeared on Strait compilations like 50 Number Ones (2004, reissue) and remains a concert favorite. Billboard and American Songwriter both ranked it among Strait’s top 10 greatest songs. Its inclusion of spoken recitation was unusual for mid-2000s country radio but contributed to its authentic storytelling appeal.
The album It Just Comes Natural peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Country Albums chart, eventually earning Platinum certification. Follow-up singles “It Just Comes Natural,” “Wrapped,” and “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls” continued Strait’s chart success, reinforcing his dominance in traditional country amid the era’s evolving sounds.
Video
Lyric
She was stormin’ through the house that day
And I could tell she was leavin’
And I thought, aw, she’ll be back
‘Til she turned around and pointed at the wall and saidThat picture from our honeymoon
That night in Frisco Bay
Just give it away
She said, give it away
And that big four-poster king-size bed
Where so much love was made
Just give it away
She said, just give it awayJust give it away
There ain’t nothin’ in this house worth fightin’ over
Oh, and we’re both tired of fightin’ anyway
Just give it awaySo I tried to move on
But I found that each woman I held
Just reminded me of that day
HmmWhen that front door swung wide open
She flung her diamond ring
Said, give it away
Just give it away
And I said, now, honey, don’t you even want
Your half of everything
She said, give it away
Just give it awayJust give it away
There ain’t nothin’ in this house worth fightin’ over
Oh, and we’re both tired of fightin’ anyway
Just give it awaySo I’m still right here where she left me
Along with all the other things
She don’t care about anymore
Mmm, like that picture from our honeymoon
That night in Frisco Bay
She said, give it away
Well, I can’t give it away
And that big four-poster king-size bed
Where all our love was made
She said, give it away
Well, I can’t give it awayI’ve got a furnished house, a diamond ring
And a lonely broken heart full of love
And I can’t even give it away