TODAY (Aug. 12th 2010)

Country singer Blake Shelton, "It's About Tonight," discusses his engagement and music

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD, co-host: He's a self-proclaimed hillbilly, garage sale-loving, award-winning country music star who doesn't let any grass grow under his feet.

HODA KOTB, co-host: No, he certainly does not. Blake Shelton has a brand new-CD out...

Mr. BLAKE SHELTON ("All About Tonight"): What are you talking about?

GIFFORD: I don't know.

KOTB: We're reading. It's called "All About Tonight," and he and another country cutie, Miranda Lambert...

GIFFORD: Just got engaged!

KOTB: Got--congrats.

Mr. SHELTON: Thank you.

KOTB: You were--so you were in love last time you were here. You just didn't pop the question?

GIFFORD: He's been in love the last three times, I think.

KOTB: Yeah.

GIFFORD: Yeah. It's been a while.

KOTB: So how did you propose?

Mr. SHELTON: Well, I--we live out in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma and I tricked her and I got her to come out on my land. I like to grow corn and things like that and I told her I was going to take her out and show her how my corn's doing.

KOTB: That must have been...

GIFFORD: Oh, my gosh...

KOTB: That line...

GIFFORD: ...and there happened to be some photographers there to capture the moment or what?

Mr. SHELTON: Cornography. No, I, you know, it was just one of those deals where, you know...

KOTB: So what happened? Did you get down on one knee and do the whole thing?

Mr. SHELTON: We can't talk about this on television.

KOTB: Why?

Mr. SHELTON: I don't know. Yeah, I did...

KOTB: You did?

Mr. SHELTON: ...as a matter of fact.

KOTB: Ah.

GIFFORD: Ah. And how did she react? Was she surprised at the timing and...

Mr. SHELTON: She said yes. I mean, she must clearly was drunk or something still from the night before, probably.

GIFFORD: Oh, so you had some moonshine?

KOTB: Uh-huh.

GIFFORD: Ah, congratulations...

Mr. SHELTON: Mm-hmm.

GIFFORD: ...sweetie.

Mr. SHELTON: Thank you. Thank you very much.

KOTB: And congrats on your new CD, "All About Tonight." There's one track...

GIFFORD: The single is the one that's doing so well, right?

Mr. SHELTON: Mm-hmm.

KOTB: It's number five already. That thing just flew to the top.

Mr. SHELTON: Mm-hmm, I'm...

KOTB: There it is.

Mr. SHELTON: After this one, I'm quitting.

(Audioclip from Shelton's CD)

KOTB: Go.

GIFFORD: Would you be happy if you quit really, though?

Mr. SHELTON: Yes, I would.

GIFFORD: Just sitting in your corn field?

Mr. SHELTON: Yes.

KOTB: You would not.

GIFFORD: Letting your toenails grow?

KOTB: No, you wouldn't.

Mr. SHELTON: What are you talking about?

GIFFORD: Really?

KOTB: He wouldn't shower? No. You wouldn't be happy.

Mr. SHELTON: They make me come up here. Look, I'm out of place in the New York City. Look at these people.

GIFFORD: No, you're not. You're with us and they love you.

Mr. SHELTON: Look, they got rotten drinking signs. Look at my reputation follows me everywhere.

GIFFORD: Well, that guy, that guy's...

KOTB: "Drink with me" yeah.

GIFFORD: Yeah. That guy and I have a future, I think.

(Man on the street holding a sign saying "Drink With Me, KLG!)

Mr. SHELTON: Well, what would Miranda do? She doesn't want to quit. You guys are both at the top of your game.

Mr. SHELTON: She's going to work if I quit.

GIFFORD: Oh!

Mr. SHELTON: Somebody's got to--yes.

GIFFORD: Would you be a house daddy? Would you ever be...

Mr. SHELTON: I would love it to be that.

GIFFORD: Really?

KOTB: No, you would not.

Mr. SHELTON: Well, you say daddy. That means kids.

GIFFORD: Yeah.

Mr. SHELTON: I'm not--I don't want to do that. No.

KOTB: So you...

GIFFORD: Little nose-pickers.

Mr. SHELTON: Right, right.

KOTB: So you and Miranda actually sing together on one of these tracks, right?

Mr. SHELTON: Yeah, "Dragging the River."

KOTB: "Dragging the River."

GIFFORD: Maybe we could cue a little bit of that up so we could hear it.

Mr. SHELTON: It's a song--listen to this...

KOTB: Go.

Mr. SHELTON: ...it's a song about running off and getting married because your parents--their parents don't approve of them getting married so they fake their death so that their families are looking for their dead bodies in the river and then they go off to Las Vegas and get--it's very romantic.

GIFFORD: But when the parents find out that they're alive, they won't be so upset that they're married because they thought they were dead.

Mr. SHELTON: Right. They're relieved.

GIFFORD: It's actually genius.

KOTB: Who wrote that? Did you write it?

Mr. SHELTON: No. Actually a guy named Chris Stapleton wrote that song.

KOTB: OK.

Mr. SHELTON: Yeah.

GIFFORD: So you excited about the future because no matter what's going on in your life, you always seem like...

KOTB: Yeah.

GIFFORD: ...yeah, well, I was in a corn field.

Mr. SHELTON: Does anybody ever come on here and say, `No, I'...

GIFFORD: You do.

Mr. SHELTON: Do I really?

KOTB: Some people are cranky.

GIFFORD: You tell us--you tell us the truth.

Mr. SHELTON: Yes, I'm excited. Absolutely.

KOTB: Yeah.

Mr. SHELTON: I'm getting married and got a new record out.

GIFFORD: Have you set a date?

Mr. SHELTON: No, not yet.

GIFFORD: I knew you'd say that.

Mr. SHELTON: In fact--no, but listen. She's down in Texas with her family right now and they're looking at some plans.

KOTB: What does that mean? Oh, so you're...

Mr. SHELTON: Look, I hope I get an invitation, OK? I don't know. Who could...

GIFFORD: You know who you do have an invitation for?

Mr. SHELTON: What?

GIFFORD: You're going to be sitting in my seat in about a week, I think. About 10 days.

KOTB: You're going to be co-hosting this program. How do you feel about doing that?

Mr. SHELTON: Are you--how do you feel about that because you may not be welcome. I'm a natural. As long as I don't have to read stuff, I'll be good.

GIFFORD: I'm...

Mr. SHELTON: As long as I don't have to read stuff, it'll be good.

GIFFORD: I'm ready to retire as well so you...

Mr. SHELTON: Really?

GIFFORD: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But here's the thing. I'm going to loan you my dressing room downstairs...

Mr. SHELTON: OK.

GIFFORD: ...I'm going to loan you my Spanx...

Mr. SHELTON: Yes.

GIFFORD: ...and you can do that freaky thing you like to do.

Mr. SHELTON: OK. All right.

KOTB: So bad.

Mr. SHELTON: She knows plenty about me.

KOTB: Blake, we wish you the best of luck with Miranda and with your new CD.

Mr. SHELTON: Thank you. I need it and I need it.

KOTB: It's--again, it's called "All About Tonight." You got to hear that single. Go to "All About Tonight," click on it on iTunes. It's really great.

GIFFORD: You really are one of our favorite people. Glad you could come.

Mr. SHELTON: Well, I love you girls.

KOTB: Yeah, good luck. Thank you.

GIFFORD: And have fun--thank you--and have fun with the Hoda woman while I'm gone.

Mr. SHELTON: I will. Oh-ho, I will.

GIFFORD: And clean my Spanx afterward.

KOTB: Ew!

GIFFORD: Up next, how documenting your life can help change it. We're going to show you how to get started.

Mr. SHELTON: How do I clean your Spanx?

GIFFORD: You just wash them, it's easy.

KOTB: Tide.

GIFFORD: In a gentle cycle.

KOTB: Tide.

GIFFORD: Gentle cycle. OK?

Mr. SHELTON: They may have to peel them off of me.