Garth Brooks scored his fourth No. 1 single with “Unanswered Prayers,” and it’s a song that drew directly from his relationship with his wife.
Brooks teamed with Pat Alger and Larry Bastian to co-write “Unanswered Prayers,” which tells the story of a man who runs into an old flame at a high school football game that he is attending with his wife. Seeing her again makes him realize that his fond memory of her does not line up with reality, forcing him to see that he made the right choice when he had previously doubted it.
“Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers / Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs / That just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care / Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers,” Brooks sings in the chorus.
He later admitted that it drew from an incident that actually happened while he was still married to his first wife, Sandy.
“‘Unanswered Prayers’ was a big part of my heart that went out on that record,” Brooks recalled (quote via the Boot). “In October of ’89, I saw my old high school flame. And I can say this now — at the time I couldn’t: For the first two years of my married life, I really thought the girl that was for me was still that girl that was in high school. And now, man, just the realization that what you have is the best for you and the best you could ever do in your lifetime, it sure makes you sleep well at night.”
Released as the second single from Brooks’ No Fences album in October of 1990, “Unanswered Prayers” reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart on Jan. 12, 1991, where it stayed for two weeks. It followed the success of the album’s lead single, “Friends in Low Places,” and Brooks would hit No. 1 again with his next single, “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House” and its follow-up, “The Thunder Rolls,” landing four consecutive chart-topping singles from his sophomore album to cement his position as one of country music’s biggest new stars.
See Inside Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s Malibu Beach House:
Brooks and Yearwood bought their 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 4,200-square-foot house in Malibu for slightly less than $5 million in June of 2008. The house itself is fairly modest, but very well-appointed, featuring an open floor plan.
The living room boasts a corner fireplace and multiple sets of French doors that open to the backyard. The kitchen includes marble countertops, while skylights offer plenty of natural California sunlight. The den features floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on either side of a fireplace of white brick.
The backyard is spectacular, featuring a loggia, an outdoor fireplace, a half-court basketball court and elaborate landscaping. The house provides direct access to the world-famous Malibu beach via a set of steps.
The couple sold the house in Malibu in late 2016 for $7 million.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
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Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
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Garth Brooks is the most successful country entertainer of all time, and his long career is full of lore and incredible stories. But there’s a few fun facts about the star that even his most dedicated fans might not know. Read on to test your Garth Brooks trivia knowledge!
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak