The Chicks Had to Cut 'Wide Open Spaces' 3rd Verse Prior to Recording, and Now Fans Are Demanding a Re-Record
The songwriter behind one of country music's biggest "masterpieces" stunned fans recently when she revealed that there was more to the story that shaped many young women as children, leaving listeners clamoring for another listen.
One of The Chicks' most popular songs, "Wide Open Spaces," was penned by a musician named Susan Gibson, but the track was not recorded as its writer originally intended. Gibson appeared on a recent episode of The Hook, a brand-new Austin-based songwriting showcase (that can also be viewed on YouTube), where she served as a guest performer and panelist.
Gibson opened the show on May 10 with a performance of "Wide Open Spaces" as it was originally written-with a third verse cut for timing when Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer recorded it back in 1997 for their 1998 album of the same name.
In the late '90s, the trio called Gibson up and expressed their desire to record the song, but noted it, unfortunately, was "a little too long" for radio play and would need to lose the final verse.
"That's terrible news, you can't cut out that 3rd verse," Gibson recalled telling them, to which they replied, "Well, if we don't cut out the 3rd verse, the song's gonna be too long, and they won't play it on country music radio, and you won't make as much money."
Gibson had a real quick change of heart, joking, "I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that 3rd verse!"
@saving.country.mus Songwriter Susan Gibson reveals the 3rd verse to the Double Platinum award-winning single "Wide Open Spaces" by the [Dixie] Chicks on The Hook, recorded at Sagebrush in Austin. The full Episode 2 of The Hook where Gibson explains more about the song can be found on YouTube. Link in bio. Follow@The Hook
♬ original sound - Saving Country Music
Obviously, trimming it down paid off, as the produced version went on to win the CMAs for Single and Video of the Year, a Grammy for Best Country Album, hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, and is now Certified Double Platinum. The Library of Congress also officially preserved it in 2024 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
But it's 2026, and it's since been proven that lengthy tracks can perform, too (hello, "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)"). With the third verse tying the whole story neatly with a bow, fans are itching for an official rerelease.
Fans were gagged by the "legendary" tidbit dropped by Gibson, with one awestruck commenter writing, "I feel like this is one of those things I needed to know before I die but didn't know I needed to know. Wow 🤯."
"As a long time Chicks fan I'm ecstatic to hear more of this amazing song," someone else gushed.
"This is a genius song…. Just flat out," another praised, while someone else lamented, "Oh good. The third verse makes me sob, too."
Countless listeners also pressed for a rerelease, with one requesting "Wide Open Spaces 10min version 🫶🏼" and another agreeing, "Wide Open Spaces (Third Verse Version) releasing when?!?!"
"We all needed this 3rd verse! Record it we don't care that it is long!" a third emphasized, with a fourth adding, "Ahhhhhhh I need a full song with this verse 😭."
While there are no formal studio recordings of the full version available to stream, Gibson does have a couple of live performances of the extended track on Spotify, on her 2005 album OuterSpace and 2014 album The Second Hand.
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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 12:24 PM.