251:" named Becky while the narrator spends the song constantly questioning "what was I thinkin'", being mesmerized by Becky into committing all manner of foolish activities. The night begins with Becky and the narrator, sneaking out of her father's house but her father catches them leaving the property and shoots the tailgate of the truck on their way out with his shotgun. Shortly after they are caught in a police chase where the narrator drives his truck through a cornfield to escape, much to Becky's delight. Later into the night he encounters a large man with a "Born to Kill" tattoo whom he starts a fight with after the man tries to get between him and Becky and has to frantically run away from once he " out his front tooth." He returns Becky to her home late at night but her father is already waiting "in a lawn chair" in the driveway for the pair. The narrator shuts off his truck and waits as the father advances towards them. Yet Becky, being the rowdy girl she is, grins and then sends them speeding off into the night once again.
392:
over 3 days in May 2003. The video opens the night of the date when
Bentley takes Becky back home. She asks if he would want to do it again, and he excitedly and quickly agrees. Throughout he is seen performing with his band, and sitting on the hood of his truck looking at pictures of the date he
287:
in the late 1990s. Bentley had regularly been trespassing in the Grand Ole Opry House using his TNN credentials to congregate with the country stars of the era; the central story behind "What Was I Thinkin'" was based upon a similar adventure
Bentley had undertaken with a girl he had met while
31:
360:
and premiered in mid-2003. It tells the story of the song's events in retrospect as the narrator looks over the damage he incurred from his wild night with Becky (such as pulling a corn leaf from the undercarriage of his
294:, was angered by Bentley's trespassing and banned Bentley from the program before he had ever become famous, only lifting the ban after "What Was I Thinkin'" became a hit. Bentley would eventually be
365:
or looking at the scar he picked up from his fight with the "mountain of a man with a 'Born to Kill' tattoo", which apparently is Becky's ex-boyfriend) while wondering if it was really worth it.
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Bentley stated that he was inspired by an incident that had occurred while he was working as a behind-the-scenes staffer at
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Because of the line "I was thinkin' 'bout a little white tank top / Sittin' right there in the middle by me," Bentley told
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684:"Dierks Bentley Is the Only Country Singer To Be Banned By The Grand Ole Opry Before Ever Performing There"
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as "Becky", the white tank-top wearing "beauty from South
Alabama". Elaine also appears in "
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247:. The song is an up-tempo in which he recalls escaping one night with a "beauty from south
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put "What Was I Thinkin'" at number four on his top 10 list of
Bentley's best songs.
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as of 2023, peaking at number 22. It reached its peak position of number one on the
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magazine that he began seeing female fans wearing white tank-tops to concerts.
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874:"American single certifications – Dierks Bentley – What Was I Thinkin'"
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charts dated for the week ending
September 27, 2003. The song succeeded
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816:
791:
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wrote that the song had an "infectious" melody and "lots of energy."
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30:
401:"What Was I Thinkin'" is Bentley's highest charting single on the
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894:
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gave the single a mixed review, comparing its sound and theme to
255:
248:
239:
Bentley co-wrote "What Was I Thinkin'" with his record producer,
773:
258:
with a "moderately fast" tempo. Its main chord pattern is F
222:. The song became his first number one hit on the U.S.
566:
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
798:"Dierks Bentley Chart History (Hot Country Songs)"
288:working with TNN. Pete Fisher, the manager of the
540:
1385:
736:"Dierks Bentley's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks"
384:" as the same character. The video was shot in
910:
1031:Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003–2008
917:
903:
29:
1429:Song recordings produced by Brett Beavers
878:Recording Industry Association of America
611:
609:
396:
780:"Dierks Bentley Chart History (Hot 100)"
618:"Women Notice What Bentley Was Thinkin'"
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730:
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1409:Music videos directed by Peter Zavadil
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663:. MusicNotes.com. September 25, 2006
592:. Record Research, Inc. p. 48.
254:The song is composed in the key of
13:
1109:Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)
924:
763:"Dierks Bentley lands first No. 1"
707:
628:
616:Stark, Phyllis (August 30, 2003).
476:
218:, released in April 2003 from his
210:" is the debut single by American
14:
1445:
1434:Capitol Records Nashville singles
682:West, Lacey (November 30, 2022).
525:
1137:I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes
356:The music video was directed by
1414:Songs written by Dierks Bentley
834:
809:
1424:Songs written by Brett Beavers
755:
724:
701:
675:
649:
590:Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008
351:
1:
1419:Songs written by Deric Ruttan
842:"Best of 2003: Country Songs"
574:
18:2003 single by Dierks Bentley
518:
500:
435:
7:
1116:Trying to Stop Your Leaving
806:. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
788:. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
645:. May 10, 2003. p. 41.
425:It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
10:
1450:
1368:Sounds of Summer Tour 2015
817:"Billboard Top 100 – 2003"
432:
234:
1373:Somewhere on a Beach Tour
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1332:
1300:
1074:Lot of Leavin' Left to Do
1040:
1022:
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378:Lot of Leavin' Left to Do
231:chart in September 2003.
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48:
37:
28:
23:
1242:What the Hell Did I Say
852:Prometheus Global Media
588:Whitburn, Joel (2008).
220:self-titled debut album
397:Commercial performance
1088:Settle for a Slowdown
821:Billboardtop100of.com
710:"What Was I Thinkin'"
285:The Nashville Network
24:"What Was I Thinkin'"
1404:Dierks Bentley songs
1221:Somewhere on a Beach
1081:Come a Little Closer
657:"'What Was I Thinkin
1340:Hot Country Knights
1228:Different for Girls
1186:Bourbon in Kentucky
1095:Every Mile a Memory
1049:What Was I Thinkin'
531:
368:The video features
208:What Was I Thinkin'
183:What Was I Thinkin'
1399:2003 debut singles
1023:Compilation albums
957:Modern Day Drifter
530:
320:Dust on the Bottle
306:Critical reception
170:singles chronology
1381:
1380:
1158:Am I the Only One
1013:Gravel & Gold
734:(July 14, 2017).
599:978-0-89820-177-2
572:
571:
567:
523:
522:
474:
473:
459:Hot Country Songs
413:Hot Country Songs
382:Am I the Only One
229:Hot Country Songs
204:
203:
200:
199:
121:Capitol Nashville
1441:
1333:Related articles
1301:Featured singles
1200:Drunk on a Plane
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769:on June 6, 2011.
765:. Archived from
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390:Kingsbury, Texas
316:David Lee Murphy
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310:Rick Cohoon of
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296:inducted as an
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66:"Whiskey Tears"
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1123:Feel That Fire
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732:Dauphin, Chuck
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661:' sheet music"
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52:Dierks Bentley
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1151:Draw Me a Map
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624:. p. 33.
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538:Certification
533:
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509:
508:Country Songs
505:
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498:
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491:
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484:Chart (2003)
482:
469:
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433:Chart (2003)
431:
428:
426:
422:
421:Jimmy Buffett
418:
414:
411:
407:
405:
394:
391:
387:
386:New Braunfels
383:
379:
375:
371:
370:Lauren Elaine
366:
364:
363:Ford Ranchero
359:
358:Peter Zavadil
349:
347:
346:Chuck Dauphin
343:
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336:
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241:Brett Beavers
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212:country music
209:
193:
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184:
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162:Brett Beavers
161:
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143:Brett Beavers
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129:Songwriter(s)
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1058:My Last Name
1048:
1029:
1011:
1006:The Mountain
1004:
997:
990:
983:
976:
969:
962:
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948:
881:. Retrieved
868:
856:. Retrieved
845:
836:
824:. Retrieved
820:
811:
802:
793:
784:
775:
767:the original
757:
745:. Retrieved
739:
726:
714:. Retrieved
703:
691:. Retrieved
688:Whiskey Riff
687:
677:
665:. Retrieved
651:
642:
621:
589:
583:
564:
556:3× Platinum
511:
494:
462:
445:
417:Alan Jackson
409:
403:
400:
367:
355:
344:contributor
339:
337:
332:
330:
323:
309:
297:
289:
282:
253:
245:Deric Ruttan
238:
223:
207:
205:
192:My Last Name
182:
138:Deric Ruttan
50:
15:
1277:Beers on Me
1256:Burning Man
1249:Woman, Amen
935:Discography
883:October 12,
826:October 12,
693:December 2,
352:Music video
157:Producer(s)
1394:2003 songs
1388:Categories
1363:Riser Tour
1207:Say You Do
712:. Allmusic
575:References
559:3,000,000
1316:Flatliner
1309:The South
1193:I Hold On
847:Billboard
803:Billboard
785:Billboard
741:Billboard
716:March 26,
667:April 11,
643:Billboard
639:"Singles"
622:Billboard
513:Billboard
495:Billboard
487:Position
464:Billboard
446:Billboard
438:position
423:'s duet "
410:Billboard
404:Billboard
341:Billboard
338:In 2017,
333:Billboard
325:Billboard
302:in 2005.
225:Billboard
1130:Sideways
858:July 13,
380:", and "
312:AllMusic
277:♭
271:♭
265:♭
79:Recorded
71:Released
1172:5-1-5-0
1041:Singles
747:May 18,
544:/sales
535:Region
497:Hot 100
448:Hot 100
406:Hot 100
256:F minor
249:Alabama
235:Content
214:artist
196:(2003)
187:(2003)
93:Country
1263:Living
854:. 2003
596:
300:member
243:, and
99:Length
61:B-side
39:Single
1235:Black
1214:Riser
999:Black
992:Riser
659:'
376:", "
116:Label
88:Genre
1284:Gold
1270:Gone
1165:Home
985:Home
885:2023
860:2012
828:2019
749:2020
718:2010
695:2022
669:2022
594:ISBN
551:RIAA
436:Peak
419:and
388:and
318:'s "
298:Opry
82:2003
506:US
501:87
493:US
457:US
452:22
443:US
41:by
1390::
876:.
850:.
844:.
819:.
800:.
782:.
738:.
686:.
641:.
630:^
620:.
608:^
553:)
519:6
516:)
470:1
467:)
280:.
274:-B
268:-E
262:-D
194:"
185:"
108:21
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918:e
911:t
904:v
887:.
862:.
830:.
751:.
720:.
697:.
671:.
602:.
510:(
461:(
260:5
206:"
190:"
181:"
106::
104:4
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