Watching you ( Rodney Atkins song ) - wikipedia Watching you ( Rodney Atkins song ) `` Watching You '' Single by Rodney Atkins from the album If You 're Going Through Hell Released September 18, 2006 ( 2006 - 09 - 18 ) Genre Country Length 3 : 55 Label Curb Songwriter ( s ) Rodney Atkins Steve Dean Brian Gene White Producer ( s ) Ted Hewitt Rodney Atkins Rodney Atkins singles chronology `` If You 're Going Through Hell ( Before the Devil Even Knows ) '' ( 2006 ) `` Watching You '' ( 2006 ) `` These Are My People '' ( 2007 ) `` If You 're Going Through Hell ( Before the Devil Even Knows ) '' ( 2006 ) `` Watching You '' ( 2006 ) `` These Are My People '' ( 2007 ) `` Watching You '' is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Rodney Atkins. It was released in September 2006 as the second single from the album If You 're Going Through Hell. The single became Atkins ' second number - one single on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart. It was named the number - one song of 2007 on Billboard 's year - end chart. The song was written by Atkins, Steve Dean and Brian Gene White. Contents 1 Background and writing 2 Content 3 Music video 4 In popular culture 5 Charts 5.1 Year - end charts 6 Certifications 7 References 8 External links Background and writing The song was inspired by Atkins ' son, Elijah. After having found out that Elijah had been singing Atkins ' 2006 hit `` If You 're Going Through Hell ( Before the Devil Even Knows ) '' to his teachers, he then had to explain to his son that it `` might not be appropriate for him to be singing that in school ''. Content The song is a moderate up - tempo portraying two examples of a son learning from his father. In the first verse, the father and son are in the car together, driving through town. The son is eating a Happy Meal in the passenger seat, just as the father slams on the brakes at a red light, causing the boy to spill his food all over himself and say a bad word ( implied to be shit ). The father asks where his son learned to swear, and the boy then responds with `` I 've been watching you. / Dad, ai n't that cool ? / I 'm your buckaroo, I wan na be like you ''. In the second verse, the father heads out to his barn and begins to pray ( `` Lord, please help me help my stupid self '' ). Still later, at bedtime, the boy kneels beside his bed to pray as well, with his father watching. Upon hearing the boy 's prayers, the father asks `` Where 'd you learn to pray like that ? '' to which the boy again responds by saying that he has been watching his father. The father then responds by hugging his son and stating his pride in the boy 's growing up. Music video The video portrays the events which are laid out in the song 's lyrics. Elijah also portrays the child in the song 's video, and as a result, he has gained recognition in public. It was Atkins ' second video directed by Eric Welch. In popular culture On the Comedy Central special with Natasha Leggero ' Diamond Pussy ' ( 2015 ), she lampoons country music and specifically `` Watching You '' 's lyric : `` Knowing that he could n't have the toy ' til his nuggets were gone. '' Charts Chart ( 2006 -- 2007 ) Peak Position US Billboard Hot 100 36 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) Year - end charts Chart ( 2007 ) Position US Country Songs ( Billboard ) Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,000,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone References Jump up ^ AssociatedPress2007. pdf Jump up ^ Lonestar Country WITX Internet Country Radio Jump up ^ Rodney Atkins ' Son Has Fans Jump up ^ `` Rodney Atkins Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Rodney Atkins Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Best of 2007 : Country Songs ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2007. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Rodney Atkins -- Watching You ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 27, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH External links Music video on YouTube Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` She 's Everything '' by Brad Paisley Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one single January 27 -- February 17, 2007 Succeeded by `` It Just Comes Natural '' by George Strait Preceded by `` If You 're Going Through Hell ( Before the Devil Even Knows ) '' by Rodney Atkins Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one single of the year 2007 Succeeded by `` Just Got Started Lovin ' You '' by James Otto Rodney Atkins Studio albums Honesty If You 're Going Through Hell It 's America Take a Back Road Compilations Greatest Hits Notable singles `` Sing Along '' `` My Old Man '' `` Honesty ( Write Me a List ) '' `` If You 're Going Through Hell ( Before The Devil Even Knows ) '' `` Watching You '' `` These Are My People '' `` Cleaning This Gun ( Come On In Boy ) '' `` Invisibly Shaken '' `` It 's America '' `` 15 Minutes '' `` Farmer 's Daughter '' `` Take a Back Road '' `` He 's Mine '' `` Just Wanna Rock N ' Roll '' Related articles Discography Rose Falcon Billboard Year - End Hot Country Songs number one single of the year 1980 -- 1989 1980 : `` My Heart '' -- Ronnie Milsap 1981 : `` Fire and Smoke '' -- Earl Thomas Conley 1982 : `` Always on My Mind '' -- Willie Nelson 1983 : `` José Cuervo '' -- Shelly West 1984 : `` To All the Girls I 've Loved Before '' -- Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson 1985 : `` Lost in the Fifties Tonight ( In the Still of the Night ) '' -- Ronnie Milsap 1986 : `` Never Be You '' -- Rosanne Cash 1987 : `` Give Me Wings '' -- Michael Johnson 1988 : `` Do n't Close Your Eyes '' -- Keith Whitley 1989 : `` A Better Man '' -- Clint Black 1990 -- 1999 1990 : `` Nobody 's Home '' -- Clint Black 1991 : `` Do n't Rock the Jukebox '' -- Alan Jackson 1992 : `` I Saw the Light '' -- Wynonna Judd 1993 : `` Chattahoochee '' -- Alan Jackson 1994 : `` I Swear '' -- John Michael Montgomery 1995 : `` Sold ( The Grundy County Auction Incident ) '' -- John Michael Montgomery 1996 : `` My Maria '' -- Brooks & Dunn 1997 : `` It 's Your Love '' -- Tim McGraw and Faith Hill 1998 : `` Just to See You Smile '' -- Tim McGraw 1999 : `` Amazed '' -- Lonestar 2000 -- 2009 2000 : `` How Do You Like Me Now ? ! '' -- Toby Keith 2001 : `` Ai n't Nothing ' bout You '' -- Brooks & Dunn 2002 : `` The Good Stuff '' -- Kenny Chesney 2003 : `` My Front Porch Looking In '' -- Lonestar 2004 : `` Live Like You Were Dying '' -- Tim McGraw 2005 : `` That 's What I Love About Sunday '' -- Craig Morgan 2006 : `` If You 're Going Through Hell ( Before The Devil Even Knows ) '' -- Rodney Atkins 2007 : `` Watching You '' -- Rodney Atkins 2008 : `` Just Got Started Lovin ' You '' -- James Otto 2009 : `` I Run to You '' -- Lady Antebellum 2010 -- 2019 2010 : `` Love Like Crazy '' -- Lee Brice 2011 : `` Crazy Girl '' -- Eli Young Band 2012 : `` Time Is Love '' -- Josh Turner 2013 : `` Cruise '' -- Florida Georgia Line 2014 : `` This Is How We Roll '' -- Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan 2015 : `` Take Your Time '' -- Sam Hunt 2016 : `` H.O.L.Y. '' - Florida Georgia Line 2017 : `` Body Like a Back Road -- Sam Hunt Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Watching_You_(Rodney_Atkins_song)&oldid=830995574 '' Categories : 2007 singles 2006 songs Rodney Atkins songs Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles of the year Curb Records singles Songs written by Rodney Atkins Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016 Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 18 March 2018, at 03 : 40. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: who wrote the song watching you by rodney atkins
Answer: Rodney Atkins