Image: The Associated Press / The Everett Collection

"I miss Mayberry." This line from the early 2000s Rascal Flatts mega-hit reflects the title of the track and is a nod to one of the best fictional towns ever created through classic television. 

Rascal Flatts was founded in 1999 and is best known for their country music roots with several twists, touching several genres. The group had sixteen hits reach the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. One of which was the late 2003 single "Mayberry," off their 2002 album Melt. 

We wouldn't tell you about this track if it didn't have a direct relation to some sort of classic television show. And boy, does it relate to one of classic TV's best! 

If you haven't guessed it yet, the song "Mayberry" is referencing the Mayberry you know and love, right out of The Andy Griffith Show. Mayberry was the quiet, carefree and simple town that Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife were in charge of keeping safe. It wasn't the tallest of tasks, as the fictional town was known for its lack of trouble. So much so, its sheriff didn't have to carry a weapon, and its deputy only had one bullet (though this was primarily for other reasons).

See More

The Andy Griffith ShowMayberry

6 things you can do in the 'real-life' Mayberry

The title of the Rascal Flatts song and the name of the friendly town isn't the only similarity between the tune and the series. The song, which was the group's second number one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, had several references not only to the simpler times, before crazy technology and high-paced lifestyles became common, but to The Andy Griffith Show itself. 

Lyrics include, "I miss Mayberry, sittin' on the porch drinkin' ice cold Cherry Coke." Can't you just see Andy, Barney and Opie sitting on the porch, on the black and white screen, drinkin' Cherry Coke? 

We know you can see Andy and Opie going fishing, as every episode of The Andy Griffith Show started with the iconic whistling, toe-tapping tune playing over the sequence. 

Rascal Flatts sings, "Sometimes I dream I'm drivin' down an old dirt road, not even listed on the map / I pass a dad and son carryin' a fishin' pole / But I always wake up everytime I try to turn back / I miss Mayberry." 

The Andy Griffith Show has long been an inspiration to music, including to several rap artists, so it's no surprise an entire song was based on the idea of Mayberry, featuring a few direct relations to the iconic series. 

Do you miss Mayberry? 

Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!

Weeknights at 8 & 8:30, Sundays at 12 & 6 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

 Add to Favorites  Remind Me