While on a trip to London with his wife Annie, Nashville singer
songwriter Dave Barnes randomly came up with a sentimental song idea.

"I sort of tucked the title away because I didn't have anything to do with it but I really liked the idea" says Barnes.

About six months later, during a songwriting session, Dave pitched the title "God Gave Me You" to a fellow songwriter.

"I was like what do you think and he was like I like it but let's not write it today" says Barnes.

But
Barnes couldn't get the song out of his head, so he wrote it on his own
that afternoon.  A few hours later he had written "God Gave Me You". A
quirky little love song that unknowingly would become a big hit!

"I
remember writing it and thinking some of the lines are so weird, but I
kept them cause I liked them. I was like who would say you will always
be loves great martyr? But I remember thinking I'm going to pull this
off. I don't know how but I'm going to have martyr in a song" laughs
Barnes.

Barnes was pursuing a country career of his own and the
song was quickly picked up for airplay, but on Christian radio. As fate
would have it a little country star by the name of Blake Shelton heard
it while driving one day and the rest is history

"Blake driving
home one night randomly heard this song and where he was in life with
Miranda it guess it just struck a chord" says Barnes.

Blake
didn't change a thing about the way Dave wrote the song. He but it on
his album and made it a single, quickly taking it to the top of the
charts and giving Barnes his very first number one hit.

"I still
get goosebumps. It's been on the radio for a half year now and every
time it comes on I'm like, I wrote that" laughs Barnes.
   
A song that was inspired by Dave Barnes wife, but a must to perrom for Blake Shelton because of his, at the time, wife-to-be!

"It was a chance for me to say I'm not the easiest guy to care for and you stay anyway and I appreciate it" says Barnes.

    After the music video was released, the song related to listeners on many levels.

"I
had to be careful telling people I wrote it for my wife because I
didn't want them to think, well when I hear it I think about my son,
parents, or friends. But that is what was so great about the video, they
opened it up to be able to appeal to more people" says Barnes.

One little love song, that resulted in every single one of Dave Barnes wildest songwriting dreams!

"It
has all sort of happened at once. It's kinda hard to beat this ya now.
It was nominated for a Grammy! I feel like I used all my cards at once"
says Barnes.

Barnes has an album of his own coming out in March. STORY BEHIND THE SONG: God Gave Me You