
For decades, country music has been the soundtrack to almost every emotion, including heartbreak. So many great country songs have come out over the years with absolutely devastating lyrics, including these three tunes, which were all released in 1993.
“Almost Goodbye” by Mark Chesnutt
“Almost Goodbye” is the title track of March Chesnutt’s third studio album. Don Schlitz and Billy Livsey are the two writers of “Almost Goodbye”.
A sad song about a couple refusing to admit the relationship is over, “Almost Goodbye” says in part, “It should have been easy to say that we were through / But to walk away from love was more than we could do / It was almost goodbye / Almost goodbye.“
“Almost Goodbye” is one of three No. 1 singles Chesnutt had in 1993. “It Sure Is Monday” and “I Just Wanted You To Know”, both from Almost Goodbye, also reached the top of the charts.
“Does He Love You” by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis
Perhaps the most heartbreaking country song to come out in 1993 is “Does He Love You”. A duet with Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, “Does He Love You” is on McEntire’s Greatest Hits Volume Two album. The song was written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch.
“Does He Love You” is a conversation between two women, a man’s wife and his mistress. The chorus begins with, “But does he love you (does he love you) / Like he loves me (like he loves me) / Does he think of you (does he think of you) / When he’s holding me.”
McEntire and Davis earned both a CMA and Grammy Award for this song. Interestingly, McEntire wanted Davis as her duet partner for this song from the beginning. However, her record label at the time wanted her to use a more established artist, like Wynonna Judd or Trisha Yearwood. McEntire’s producer, Tony Brown, sent “Does He Love You” to Judd. When they didn’t hear back, McEntire insisted on recording this song with Davis, who was her background singer at the time.
“A Bad Goodbye” by Clint Black and Wynonna Judd
Judd may not have sung on “Does He Love You” with McEntire, but she was part of a heartbreaking duet in 1993. Clint Black sings “A Bad Goodbye” with Judd. The sad song, written solely by Black, is part of his No Time To Kill record.
“A Bad Goodbye” is a heartwrenching song about knowing it’s time to walk away, even though neither person in the relationship is ready to take the proverbial first step.
The chorus of “A Bad Goodbye” says, “Goodbye, easier said than done / Goodbye, there’s no good when you’re the one / Whose goodbye you swore would never come / And in my goodbye you’re finding none.”
“When I started to think about it, I found the sadder meaning of a bad goodbye,” Black tellsAmerican Songwriter. “[I] started thinking, ‘OK, if we’re going to the sad part and somebody’s leaving with a bad goodbye or not wanting to leave, there must be still some love there.’”
Photo by: Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
The post 3 Country Songs From 1993 With Absolutely Devastating Lyrics appeared first on American Songwriter.
Author: Gayle Thompson
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