3 Country Songs From 1964 That Still Make Me Smile Today

Country music in the 1960s will always sound like classics, regardless of how much time passes. Among the many great country songs that came out in the 1960s are these three unforgettable tunes. All out in 1964, it’s almost certain that every 60s kid still knows them by heart today.

“I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)” by Buck Owens

A sweet love song if there ever was one is “I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)” by Buck Owens. The song, written solely by Owens, is the only single from his I Don’t Care record.

“I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)” starts with, “Well, I don’t care if the sun don’t shine / I don’t care if the bells don’t chime / Just as long as you love me.”

The year 1964 was a good year for Owens. In addition to “I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)”, two other singles from 1964, both “My Heart Skips A Beat” and “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail” also hit No. 1.

“The Race Is On” by George Jones

“The Race Is On” is one of the most popular songs by George Jones. Written by Don Rollins, Jones liked the song so much that he included it on two different albums. It first appears on his 1964 I Get Lonely In A Hurry record. One year later, he made it the title track of his next project.

“The Race Is On” says, “My heart’s out of the running / True love’s scratched for another’s sake / The race is on and it looks like heartaches / And the winner loses all.”

In 1989, Sawyer Brown had a Top 5 hit with this song.

“Long Gone Lonesome Blues” by Hank Williams Jr.

This might be a sad song, but the nostalgia alone could make anyone smile while listening to it. “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” was actually first recorded by Hank Williams, becoming a No. 1 hit for him in 1950. About 14 years later, his son, Hank Williams Jr., released it as his debut single, becoming his first to reach the Top 5. That version is on Hank Williams Jr. Sings the Songs of Hank Williams.

“Long Gone Lonesome Blues” starts with, “I went down to the river to watch the fish swim by / But I got to the river so lonesome I wanted to die, oh Lord / And then I jumped in the river, but the doggone river was dry / She’s long gone, and now I’m lonesome blue.”

Photo by PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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