Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House

"Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" is the title of a country music song co-written by Dennis Robbins, Bobby Boyd, and Warren Dale Haynes. It was originally Robbins himself recorded in 1987 for MCA Records and charted at number 71 with it on the Billboard country charts. The B-side to Robbins' version was "The Church on Cumberland Road," which was later a number one hit in 1989 for Shenandoah.^[1]

The song was later recorde by Garth Brooks for his album No Fences in 1991. His rendition was released as the album's the third single and his fifth consecutive number one hit.

Content

The song is a moderate up-tempo with a fiddle intro. Its lyrics describe the relationship between the narrator and his wife, whom he considers a perfect complement. The title is a double entendre, implying that they plan to have children.

In his book Redneck Liberation: Country Music as Theology, author David Fillingim cited "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" as an "upbeat honky-tonk romp" that showed his "more traditional country music styles".^[2]

Background and Production

Garth Brooks Version

Garth provided the following background information on the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits:

This song came to me through Jon Northrup. He was doing a demo deal, and "Two of a Kind" was one of the four songs he was pitching for a demo. When I heard it, I said, "I wish you all the luck on your deal, but if for some reason it falls through, I'd love to have this." He called me three months later and told me I could have it if I wanted it. I immediately cut it. And to this day, even though it's a small, light-hearted song, it's one of the strongest parts of our live show. People just seem to connect with this song. This is a big point to writers and artists out there, especially myself, that sometimes intense gets the point across, but don't forget to show 'em your sense of humor.^[3]

Chart positions

Dennis Robbins Version

Garth Brooks Version

Year-end charts

References