Country Music Icon Garth Brooks Once Called This His Most ‘Controversial’ Song originally appeared on Parade.
Over three decades ago, Garth Brooks made one of the most unusual decisions in music history. His 1994 compilation album The Hits didn’t just dominate the charts — it became a buried treasure in the most literal sense possible.
The Hits debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts following its release. The album came packaged with an innovative bonus CD containing 20-second snippets from 61 different songs, giving fans a preview of Brooks’ extensive catalog.
However, what happened next shocked the music industry. During his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in June 1995, Brooks revealed he had buried the album’s master recording beneath his newly unveiled star.
“‘The Hits’ were buried deep in the concrete beneath the star,” he announced to the audience. This unprecedented move guaranteed the album could never be re-released, transforming the master tapes into a time capsule sealed beneath one of Hollywood’s most famous landmarks.
Among the tracks on this now-inaccessible album was what Brooks considered his most daring song to date.
The country superstar didn’t shy away from controversy when it came to “We Shall Be Free,” a track that pushed boundaries in conservative country music circles.
“‘We Shall Be Free’ is definitely and easily the most controversial song I have ever done,” Brooks stated in the album’s notes. Released as a single in 1992, the song reportedly encountered resistance from country radio stations across the U.S.
Wade Jessen, music program director of WSM-AM/FM in Nashville, explained the industry’s hesitation to the LA Times. “Part of the country audience is not an audience that’s in agreement with that kind of message.”
The anthem promoted racial and sexual tolerance through lyrics advocating for universal acceptance. Despite Brooks’ popularity, the song struggled commercially, becoming his first single in three years to miss the Top 10 on Billboard’s country radio chart, stalling at number 12 after just eight weeks.
Brooks reflected on the song’s reception years ago, explaining, “A song of love, a song of tolerance from someone who claims not to be a prophet but just an ordinary man. I never thought there would be any problems with this song. Sometimes the roads we take do not turn out to be the roads we envisioned them to be.”
Before releasing the track, Brooks had been candid about its deeper meaning. “Tolerance is an important issue to me,” he explained to the LA Times. “Just like we might today ask our grandparents how anyone could have ever judged a man by his skin, our grandkids will say, ‘How could anyone ever think someone’s sexual preference affected how their mind works?'”
Years later, when The Hits was released, Brooks remained unwavering in his commitment to the song’s message. “All I can say about ‘We Shall Be Free’ is that I will stand by every line of this song as long as I live. I am very proud of it. And I am very proud of Stephanie Davis, the writer. I hope you enjoy it and see it for what it was meant to be.”
The choice paid off critically, with Rolling Stone reportedly praising the album’s compilation. Billboard recognized The Hits with a Top Billboard 200 Album award in 1995, cementing its place in music history despite, or perhaps because of, its permanent inaccessibility.
Country Music Icon Garth Brooks Once Called This His Most ‘Controversial’ Song first appeared on Parade on Aug 15, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
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