Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven - wikipedia Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' Single by Kenny Chesney with The Wailers from the album Lucky Old Sun Released August 11, 2008 ( 2008 - 08 - 11 ) Format CD single Genre Country Length 4 : 17 ( album version ) 2 : 40 ( radio edit ) Label Blue Chair / BNA Songwriter ( s ) Jim Collins, Marty Dodson Producer ( s ) Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney Kenny Chesney singles chronology `` Better as a Memory '' ( 2008 ) `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' ( 2008 ) `` Down the Road '' ( 2008 ) `` Better as a Memory '' ( 2008 ) `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' ( 2008 ) `` Down the Road '' ( 2008 ) Music video `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' on YouTube `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' is a country music song co-written by American songwriters Jim Collins and Marty Dodson. The song was initially to have been recorded by singer George Strait for his 2008 album Troubadour, but after Strait decided not to include the song on this album, it was recorded by Kenny Chesney instead. Released in August 2008, Chesney 's rendition is his thirty - eighth Top 40 country hit and his fifteenth Number One hit. Chesney 's version is the first single from his album Lucky Old Sun, which was released on his own Blue Chair label in association with BNA Records. The song is part of the track list for Now That 's What I Call Country Volume 2. Contents 1 History and content 2 Reception 3 Music video 4 Charts 4.1 Year - end charts 5 Certifications 6 References 7 External links History and content `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' was co-written by Marty Dodson and Jim Collins, the latter of whom has previously co-written two other singles for Chesney : `` She Thinks My Tractor 's Sexy '' from late 1999 - early 2000, and `` The Good Stuff '' from mid-2002. Initially, George Strait had recorded the song for his 2008 album Troubadour. Although Strait 's version did not make the album 's final cut, he nonetheless made his own rendition available as a digital download. Chesney then recorded his own version of the song, and released it as the first single from his studio album Lucky Old Sun, his first project for his personal Blue Chair label ( in association with BNA Records, the label to which he has been signed since 1995 ). Chesney 's rendition of the song is a mid-tempo, set in a calypso orchestration with a slight reggae feel, and is backed by The Wailers, who also sing the final chorus on the album version. Its lyrics find the narrator detailing his life to a preacher who has told him to forgo a lifestyle of drinking alcohol and pursuing sexual desires, in favor of a more religious - oriented style. In the chorus, the narrator responds with `` Everybody wants to go to heaven / But nobody wants to go now ''. Reception Matt C., a reviewer for the country music blog Engine 145, gave `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' a `` thumbs down '' rating. Although his review makes note of the song 's `` carefree sentiment that characterizes standards like ' Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young ' '', he considered the calypso orchestration `` patently offensive ''. Alison Bonaguro, who contributes to the blog for the television network CMT, gave the song a more positive review. Although she referred to the instrumentation as `` not - so - country '', she described the song 's sentiment favorably, comparing it to Tim McGraw 's `` Live Like You Were Dying '', but without a `` preachy feel ''. Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B rating. He said the only problem with the song is the production. He went on to say `` the calypso trimmings used to be a distinctive trademark of Kenny Chesney records, but by now, they 're a crutch. '' Music video In August 2008, Chesney traveled to Jamaica to film the song 's music video. The Wailers are featured in the video as well. Charts `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' debuted at number 22 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated for the week of August 16, 2008. For the chart week of October 18, 2008, it has become his fifteenth Number One hit. The next week, its second and final week at Number One, the song was credited as `` Kenny Chesney with The Wailers ''. Prior to this, it had been credited to Chesney alone. Chart ( 2008 ) Peak position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) US Billboard Hot 100 41 Canada ( Canadian Hot 100 ) 49 Year - end charts Chart ( 2008 ) Position US Country Songs ( Billboard ) 15 Preceded by `` Do n't Think I Do n't Think About It '' by Darius Rucker Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one single October 18 - October 25, 2008 Succeeded by `` She Never Cried in Front of Me '' by Toby Keith Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Gold 500,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone References Jump up ^ Song charted before its announced release date. ^ Jump up to : `` Kenny Chesney 's New Single Arrives Aug. 10 ''. CMT. 2008 - 07 - 24. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 05. ^ Jump up to : C., Matt ( 2008 - 07 - 31 ). `` Kenny Chesney - `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' ``. Engine 145. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` New Kenny Chesney single also recorded by George Strait ''. Voice of Country. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Kenny Chesney Finds `` Heaven '' in Blue Chair ``. Great American Country. 2008 - 07 - 30. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 12. ^ Jump up to : Bonaguro, Alison ( 2008 - 07 - 30 ). `` Calypso Works for Kenny Chesney 's `` Heaven '' ``. CMT. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ Coyne, Kevin John ( 2008 - 07 - 30 ). `` Kenny Chesney - `` Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven '' ``. Country Universe. Retrieved 2010 - 06 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Kenny 's `` Jammin ' '' with Bob Marley 's Wailers ``. Great American Country. 2008 - 05 - 04. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Kenny Chesney - `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' ``. Billboard. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Kenny Chesney -- Chart history '' Billboard Hot Country Songs for Kenny Chesney. Jump up ^ `` Kenny Chesney -- Chart history '' Billboard Hot 100 for Kenny Chesney. Jump up ^ `` Kenny Chesney -- Chart history '' Canadian Hot 100 for Kenny Chesney. Jump up ^ `` Best of 2008 : Country Songs ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Kenny Chesney -- Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 21, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics George Strait 2000s - 2010s singles Latest Greatest Straitest Hits `` The Best Day '' George Strait `` Go On '' `` Do n't Make Me Come Over There and Love You '' `` If You Can Do Anything Else '' The Road Less Traveled `` Run '' `` Living and Living Well '' `` She 'll Leave You with a Smile '' Honkytonkville `` Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa '' `` Cowboys Like Us '' `` Desperately '' 50 Number Ones `` I Hate Everything '' Somewhere Down in Texas `` You 'll Be There '' `` She Let Herself Go '' `` The Seashores of Old Mexico '' It Just Comes Natural `` Give It Away '' `` It Just Comes Natural '' `` Wrapped '' `` How ' bout Them Cowgirls '' Troubadour `` I Saw God Today '' `` Troubadour '' `` River of Love '' Twang `` Living for the Night '' `` Twang '' `` I Gotta Get to You '' `` The Breath You Take '' Here for a Good Time `` Here for a Good Time '' `` Love 's Gonna Make It Alright '' `` Drinkin ' Man '' Love Is Everything `` Give It All We Got Tonight '' `` I Believe '' `` I Got a Car '' Cold Beer Conversation `` Let It Go '' `` Cold Beer Conversation '' `` Goin ' Goin ' Gone '' Other songs `` Murder on Music Row '' ( w / Alan Jackson ) `` Designated Drinker '' ( w / Alan Jackson ) `` Hey, Good Lookin ' '' ( w / Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith ) `` Shiftwork '' ( w / Kenny Chesney ) `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' Kenny Chesney singles In My Wildest Dreams `` Whatever It Takes '' `` The Tin Man '' `` Somebody 's Callin ' '' All I Need to Know `` Fall in Love '' `` All I Need to Know '' `` Grandpa Told Me So '' Me and You `` Back in My Arms Again '' `` Me and You '' `` When I Close My Eyes '' I Will Stand `` She 's Got It All '' `` A Chance '' `` That 's Why I 'm Here '' `` I Will Stand '' Everywhere We Go `` How Forever Feels '' `` You Had Me from Hello '' `` She Thinks My Tractor 's Sexy '' `` What I Need to Do '' Greatest Hits `` I Lost It '' `` Do n't Happen Twice '' `` The Tin Man '' ( re-release ) No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems `` Young '' `` The Good Stuff '' `` A Lot of Things Different '' `` Big Star '' `` No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems '' When the Sun Goes Down `` There Goes My Life '' `` When the Sun Goes Down '' ( w / Uncle Kracker ) `` I Go Back '' `` The Woman with You '' `` Anything but Mine '' `` Keg in the Closet '' The Road and the Radio `` Who You 'd Be Today '' `` Living in Fast Forward '' `` Summertime '' `` You Save Me '' `` Beer in Mexico '' Just Who I Am : Poets & Pirates `` Never Wanted Nothing More '' `` Do n't Blink '' `` Shiftwork '' ( w / George Strait ) `` Better as a Memory '' Lucky Old Sun `` Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven '' ( w / The Wailers ) `` Down the Road '' ( w / Mac McAnally ) Greatest Hits II `` Out Last Night '' `` I 'm Alive '' ( w / Dave Matthews ) `` Ai n't Back Yet '' Hemingway 's Whiskey `` The Boys of Fall '' `` Somewhere with You '' `` Live a Little '' `` You and Tequila '' ( w / Grace Potter ) `` Reality '' Welcome to the Fishbowl `` Feel Like a Rock Star '' ( w / Tim McGraw ) `` Come Over '' `` El Cerrito Place '' Life on a Rock `` Pirate Flag '' `` When I See This Bar '' The Big Revival `` American Kids '' `` Til It 's Gone '' `` Wild Child '' ( w / Grace Potter ) `` Save It for a Rainy Day '' Cosmic Hallelujah `` Noise '' `` Setting the World on Fire '' ( w / Pink ) `` Bar at the End of the World '' `` All the Pretty Girls '' Guest singles `` Hey, Good Lookin ' '' ( w / Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait ) `` Find Out Who Your Friends Are '' ( w / Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw ) `` Every Other Weekend '' ( w / Reba McEntire ) See also Discography `` Back Where I Come From '' `` Baptism '' `` Some People Change '' `` Take Me There '' `` Turning Home '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Everybody_Wants_to_Go_to_Heaven&oldid=795641046 '' Categories : 2008 singles George Strait songs Kenny Chesney songs Songs written by Jim Collins ( singer ) Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles Music videos directed by Shaun Silva Song recordings produced by Buddy Cannon MCA Records singles BNA Records singles Songs written by Marty Dodson 2008 songs Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from October 2010 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Canada Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 15 August 2017, at 15 : 07. 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Question: who sings everybody wants to go to heaven
Answer: Kenny Chesney