It’s been decades since country superstars Clint Black, and Steve Wariner gave us one of the best collaborations of all time with the song “Been There.”
It was released as the second single off Black’s 2000 album D’lectrified – the first album in the country singer’s career that he produced by himself. The song then peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Black And Wariner’s Remarkable Partnership That Gave Us “Been There”
Written by Clint Black with Steve Wariner, “Been There” is about two men describing being in certain unfortunate situations like waking up in the middle of the night and finding the one and only person that can hold you tight is no longer there – among other moments that make you feel incomplete.
The two men in the song then said to one another that they’ve “been there,” and they “don’t wanna go back again.”
“Did you ever wake up in the middle of the day and wonder who you are? You suddenly discover there’s a price you pay for gettin’ this far, and it’s the part of you. You really don’t have to spend. You know I’ve been there, and I don’t wanna go back again,” the song goes.
Though this is the first song Black and Wariner sang as a duet, this wasn’t the first time the two talented artists had written a song together. Their songwriting partnership actually began with Black’s 1998 No. 1 hit “Nothin’ but The Taillights.” Since then, Wariner started writing some new songs together for Black’s future studio releases.
Recently, the two once again joined forces for Black’s 2020 album Out of Sane. They’ve co-written its first single, “America (Still In Love With You),” which is basically a love song to America where Black and Wariner affirm that America will stand no matter what and for them to always stand behind her.
The Texas native said of Wariner, “He is so great and has a great heart, and we hang out, and writing is just fun. We can talk for hours and not accomplish anything except talking.”
You Should See Its Cinematic Music Video
“Been There” is accompanied by a cinematic music video that helped propel the song’s success. It features several changing scenes between Black and Wariner in different parts of the house.
The short clip begins with Black, who can be seen in bed with his pajamas as he sings and plays the harmonica. The scene then changes to Wariner, who is playing the guitar while watching TV in the living room.
You can watch it below.