"Fishin' in the Dark" is a song written by

Wendy Waldman Wendy Waldman (born November 29, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Biography Early life Waldman (born Wendy Steiner) grew up in the Los Angeles area. She was raised in a musical environment: her father Fred Steiner ...

and Jim Photoglo, and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

group

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constan ...

, with

Jimmy Ibbotson James Arvey Ibbotson (born January 21, 1947) is an American musician who is best known as a longtime member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He has also released albums as a solo artist, as a member of the Wild Jimbos, and with John McEuen. Ca ...

singing lead. It was released on June 7, 1987, as the second single from their album '' Hold On''. It reached number-one on the U.S. and Canadian country charts. It was the band's third number-one single on the U.S. country music charts and the second in Canada. After it became available for download, it has sold over a million digital copies by 2015. Sales figures give
here
/ref> It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on September 12, 2014.

Content

The premise of the song is a couple contemplating a late-night fishing expedition. Specifically, the adventurers plan to make their way to an undisclosed river and chart constellations during an evening in which a full moon is present. Furthermore, the tentative date for this excursion is set in the late spring to early summer.

Cover versions

Ed Bruce William Edwin Bruce Jr. (December 29, 1939 – January 8, 2021) was an American country music songwriter, singer, and actor. He was known for writing the 1975 song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and recording the 1982 co ...

originally recorded the song on his 1986 album '' Night Things''. *Canadian country band Emerson Drive recorded their version of the song on their 2004 album '' What If?'' A live version recorded in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

during 2004 was released as a digital single in 2005. *

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

recorded his version of the song for his 2005 album '' The Lost Sessions'' and again for his 2013 box set '' Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences''. *Irish Country singer

Nathan Carter Nathan Kane Tyrone Carter (born 28 May 1990) is a British-born Irish country music singer based in the UK and Ireland. He has released thirteen studio albums and six live albums as of December 2022, five of which peaked at number one, and fou ...

released his version of the song on his 2011 album ''Time Of My Life''. *The Ozark Mountain Daredevils cover the song on a rare Album (CD) named ''Heart of the Country'' released in 1987 * The Swon Brothers covered it during season 4 of The Voice and subsequently a studio version was released. * Red Marlow performed a duet of the song with Ryan Scripps for The Battles on Season 13 of The Voice. * The accapella group Home Free recorded and create their version of the song in 2015 with a Mash-up with

Little Big Town Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman (née Roads), Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbr ...

's Boondocks.

Charts and certification

Weekly charts

Certifications

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1987 singles 1986 songs Ed Bruce songs Nitty Gritty Dirt Band songs Emerson Drive songs Garth Brooks songs Song recordings produced by Josh Leo Warner Records Nashville singles Songs written by Wendy Waldman Songs written by Jim Photoglo