Zac Brown Band's breakout 2008 hit "Chicken Fried" was originally written with Alan Jackson in mind, but the country star turned it down, a decision he now calls a mistake. Songwriters Zac Brown and Wyatt Durrette crafted the track around themes of Southern life and everyday gratitude, and Jackson's producer Keith Stegall played it to him before Zac Brown Band recorded it themselves and took it to number one.

Jackson explained he passed on the song because he already had several tracks about food, including ones about cornbread, chicken and bologna, and didn't want to repeat the theme. Despite missing out, Jackson said he remains a fan of the band, praising them as genuine musicians, and later joined them on their 2010 hit "As She's Walking Away". Brown has said the song's lyrics, written around the time of 11 September, reflected his reflections on freedom and gratitude as an American.