‘Nutbush City Limits’ is a semi-autobiographical song written by Tina Turner which commemorates her rural hometown of Nutbush in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States. Originally released as a single on United Artists Records in August 1973, it is one of the last hits that husband-wife R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner released together. As an unincorporated rural community, Nutbush does not have geographical city limits; rather, its general boundaries are indicated by signs reading "Nutbush, Unincorporated" which are posted on the local highway (Tennessee State Route 19).
Produced by Ike Turner, ‘Nutbush City Limits’ was recorded at the Turners' Bolic Sound recording studio in Inglewood, California in May 1973. The song is characterized by inventive guitar sounds, a clavinet, a substantial Moog synthesizer solo by Ike, and a funky brass section. Originally released as a single on United Artists Records in August 1973, it's one of the last hits that husband-wife R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner released together.
The song was the lead single from album Nutbush City Limits, released in November 1973, which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard R&B albums chart. The single was a hit in various countries, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached No. 1 in Austria, and No. 2 in Switzerland and West Germany. In Australia, the single peaked at No. 14, spent 52 weeks in the top 100, and is still a party staple among Generation X and Y where it is accompanied by a dance of the same name.
In 1973, the single was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling a quarter of a million units. In 1974, the Turners received the first ever Golden European Award for selling more than one million records of ‘Nutbush City Limits’ in Europe. In the years since, ‘Nutbush City Limits’ has been performed by popular artists such as Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band, and Turner herself re-recorded several different versions of the song.
A line dance to the song, called the ‘Nutbush’, created in the 1970s disco era, took off in Australia during the 1980s, and it has seen sustained success, gaining viral popularity internationally through TikTok.
Label – Capitol
Songwriter – Tina Turner
Producers – John Hudson
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]A church house gin house
A school house outhouse
On highway number nineteen
The people keep the city clean
[Refrain]
They call it Nutbush
Oh, Nutbush
Call it Nutbush city limits
[Verse 2]
Twenty-five was the speed limit
Motorcycle not allowed in it
You go to the store on Fridays
You go to church on Sundays
[Refrain]
They call it Nutbush, a little old town
Oh, Nutbush
They call it Nutbush city limit
[Verse 3]
You go to the fields on weekdays
And have a picnic on Labor Day
You go to town on Saturdays
But go to church every Sunday
[Refrain]
They call it Nutbush
Oh, Nutbush
They call it Nutbush city limits
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Verse 4]
No whiskey for sale
You get caught, no bail
Salt pork and molasses
Is all you get in jail
[Refrain]
They call it Nutbush
Oh, Nutbush
Well, they call it Nutbush city
Nutbush city limits
[Outro]
Little old town in Tennessee that's called
Quiet little old community
A one-horse town
You have to watch
What you're puttin' down
In old Nutbush
They call it Nutbush