Tim McGraw fought with the label to include ‘Indian Outlaw’ on the second album
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Tim McGraw looks back on the most “controversial” song of his career.
In a recent interview on “The Tim Ferriss Show,” the 58-year-old country singer shared what song he had to fight to get on one of his albums, and why it was such a big risk.
“‘Indian Outlaw’ – because I had that song on my first album and no one liked it,” he explained when asked for an example of a song he thought was “lightning in a bottle.” “The label didn’t like it. [Producer] James Stroud didn’t like it. Byron [Gallimore, his longtime producer and collaborator] I liked it, but I couldn’t talk James into letting me record it and I couldn’t talk the label into it.”
According to the singer, the label told him it was “too controversial, and it was a bad song,” until he told McGraw that it “wasn’t country music” and wouldn’t be played on the radio.
McGraw called “Indian Outlaw” his “controversial” song. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
TIM MCGRAW ALMOST WENT OUT OF HIS JOB AFTER BAD HEALTH STRUGGLES.
He remembered the first night he heard this song, at the Hall of Fame Lounge and Hotel in Nashville, when he met the songwriters Tommy and Max D. Barnes, who played this song live for him.
“I heard it that first night and started playing it right away,” McGraw said. “I learned it and started playing it in all the clubs around town, honky-tonks around town, and when we went and played clubs all over the country, I’d play that song, and we’d end up playing it two or three times a night, four times a night, because people loved it so much.”
Because of his love of the song and the praise he received from his shows, McGraw begged his label to include it on his first album, but because he “had no say in the first album,” it was left that way.
When it came time to cut his second album, “Not a Moment Too Soon,” the singer insisted it be included, commenting, “I felt like this was going to work in a big way or it was going to ruin my career forever.”
McGraw took a risk and included the song on his second album. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
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“Fortunately, it worked,” McGraw said. “And I think that’s what stopped me from just being the kind of new act that has this kind of fun, weird song that makes a sound that they can’t come up with like ‘Don’t Take a Girl.’ I will forever believe that the combination of these two songs is what made my career progress and gave me a boost that I probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”
The song went on to become McGraw’s first top 10 country hit and went platinum.
McGraw touched on the “Indian Outlaw” controversy, explaining, “I understood why it was controversial, because it was a popular belief, and it was kind of playing on the ideas of Native Americans. And there was a lot of controversy around it, and I understood the controversy and I didn’t feel bad about the controversy.”
He added, “Actually, I met with several Native American leaders. Some liked the song, some didn’t like the song. And my response was, ‘Look, I understand what you’re concerned about. The song is not meant to be that way, I understand your concern. My opinion, if you need to follow me to raise attention and awareness, in any way, use my song or do it for me, if you’d like to do something about it, if you’d like to do that. All I can do is, I won’t be upset. badly.’
McGraw’s first album was released in 1993, but he became a commercial success one year later with his second album, “Not A Moment Too Soon.” (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
The singer said that when he plays at Native American casinos, he asks to play his song, but “99 percent of the time, ‘That’s why we hired you, it’s to sing that song.’ So they like it. So it’s been great for me.”
In October 2025, the singer filed a serious lawsuit against his career following a series of injuries, which left him wondering if he would ever sing again, adding that he almost quit his career.
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“I’ve had four back surgeries and two knee replacements, in the last few years,” he told the crowd at his concert in Highland, California at the time.
McGraw almost gave up his career following health problems. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
He later added, “And this spring, before I had my last back surgery, things were getting worse, so I was thinking hard and evaluating the way to go. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t think it was going to get better.”
McGraw later revealed that he is much better and that during his recovery he wrote the song, “King Rodeo,” which deals with the topics of aging and the difficulties that come with it.
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The song’s lyrics include: “Hey, King Rodeo, You’re lookin’ lonely / Like you’ve lost your one and only / The worshiping crowds are not around you / Whispers and shadows, they surround you.”
McGraw wrote the song “King Rodeo” while recovering from surgery. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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