In 2014, Keith Urban earned a Top 10 hit with "Cop Car," a song from his 2013 album Fuse and Fuse (Deluxe Edition). Although the song did not land at No. 1 on the charts, it was an overall success for Urban, as it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance (but lost to Carrie Underwood) and has been certified Platinum. While the song was recorded by veteran country music artist Keith Urban, it was written by Nashville songwriters Zach Crowell, Matt Jenkins and a then somewhat unknown Sam Hunt.
Hunt was in the early stages of his career when "Cop Car" was released by Urban in early 2014, and he went on to release his major label debut single and album that same year, becoming a breakout star in his own right. Hunt was even more of an unknown artist when he and Crowell were set up for a writing session by Crowell's publisher.
"My publisher booked us a co-write that day. I still have the email; I'm a nostalgic guy," Crowell told Rolling Stone. "[My publisher] wrote, 'Hey man. Just booked you today with this new guy Sam Hunt. Super excited about this one.' He sent me a song [of Hunt's] and I was just blown away. Kinda the reaction the whole world has had to him, I recall having it myself. About three weeks later we wrote 'Cop Car.' It was the second song we had written."
The tune is an edgy love song that tells the story of a couple who get caught trespassing at an airport to watch planes take off. Then, when they're in the back of a cop car, the woman's free spirited and lawless nature makes the man fall in love with her. The song was inspired by a true story from Hunt's life, when he got in trouble by participating in a similar activity.
"I got into a little bit of trouble at an airport after sneaking in and watching these airplanes fly over and land," he told CBS Miami in 2015. "It was entertaining and in a little area in Alabama, where there wasn't a lot to do when I was in college."
Read More: The 8 Best Sam Hunt Songs
Hunt explains that Crowell came up with the musical track for the song, and once Hunt started singing along, the words simply came out. Although Hunt presumably agreed to give the song to Urban, he was seemingly irritated when Urban performed the song at the 2014 Grammy Awards alongside Gary Clark Jr.
"I worked hard on 'Cop Car,'" Hunt tweeted at the time. "Everything I poured into that song was stolen from me. I unfortunately can't celebrate it being on The Grammys."
It's unclear what Hunt meant when he said the song was "stolen" from him, and when Nashville Gab pressed him on it, he gave a vague answer.
"I was just being hit up by a lot of people with this congratulations and the circumstances surrounding that song and the way that that all happened weren't necessarily ideal," he told the website. "I would have to go into a much deeper conversation to inform you as to why that was the case so it's hard to really answer that in short."
Things seemed to turn out alright for Hunt though, as that same year he was launched into superstardom with his debut single, "Leave The Night On," and album, Montevallo. Hunt included his own version of "Cop Car" on the album.
Keith Urban's Fuse album also includes "Somewhere In My Car," "We Were Us" (featuring Miranda Lambert), "Raise 'Em Up" (featuring Eric Church), and more. While "Cop Car" wasn't a massive hit, it sounds right at home alongside some of Urban's best songs and greatest hits, such as "Somebody Like You," "Stupid Boy," "Blue Ain't Your Color" and many more.
'Cop Car' Lyrics:
We sat on the tailgate
And watched the planes take off
We thought we had all night
There was no need to rush
That's when those cops
Came pulling up
And I thought
Man, ain't this some shhhh
Your daddy's gonna kill me
But if I survive tonight
I wouldn't change one thing
Baby, yeah I know it sounds crazy
But there was something 'bout the way
The blue lights were shining
Bringing out the freedom in your eyes
I was too busy watching you going wild child
To be worried about going to jail
You were thinking that running for it would make a good story
I was thinking you were crazy as hell
And you were so innocent, but you were stealing my heart
I fell in love in the back of a cop car
Man they weren't playing
They sure threw those cuffs on quick
You tried to sweet talk 'em
They didn't fall for it
But I did
You were on the left
I was on the right
I knew you didn't smoke
When you asked him for a light
And I laughed
He got mad and slammed the door
I swear your daddy's gonna kill me
But if I survive tonight
I wouldn't change one thing
Baby, yeah I know it sounds crazy
But there was something 'bout the way
The blue lights were shining
Bringing out the freedom in your eyes
I was too busy watching you going wild child
To be worried about going to jail
You were thinking that running for it would make a good story
I was thinking you were crazy as hell
And you were so innocent, but you were stealing my heart
I fell in love in the back of a cop car
Ohhhh oooh ohhhh
Ohh, and you were like
Ohhhh oooh ohhhh
Side by side
And locked in tight
They were taking their time
But we didn't mind
We talked
And we laughed
We sat real close
By the time they let us go
I was already gone
But there was something 'bout the way
The blue lights were shining
Bringing out the freedom in your eyes
I was too busy watching you going wild child
To be worried about going to jail
You were thinking that running for it would make a good story
I was thinking you were crazy as hell
And you were so innocent, but you were stealing my heart
I fell in love in the back of a cop car
Ohhhh oooh ohhh
I fell in love in the back of a cop car
Ohhhh oooh ohhh
Side by side
And locked in tight
They were taking their time
But we didn't mind
We talked, we laughed
We sat real close
By the time they let us go
I was already gone (oh oh oh)
I was already gone baby
Ohhhh oooh ohhh
I fell in love in the back of a cop car
