3 Country Songs From 1968 That Remain Timeless Tearjerkers

Choosing what music to listen to can be similar to picking a film to watch. Sometimes, you’re in the mood for a tearjerker, and other times you just want to laugh or dance or rock. Not every country tune from the 1960s will bring on the tears, but many of them do. They remain timeless because heartbreaking emotions don’t have expiration dates, and they certainly aren’t unique to any generation. Whether you’ve heard these tearjerkers in your youth or you’re hearing them for the first time now, these country songs from 1968 are reliable selections when you need a good cry.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell

This is my favorite country song. Jimmy Webb wrote the title track to Glen Campbell’s 1968 album, and it speaks to the smallness of us among the utter vastness of the world we occupy. The Wichita lineman searches “in the sun for another overload.” But this is the lyric that gets me every time: “And I need you more than want you / And I want you for all time / And the Wichita lineman / Is still on the line.”

Also check out Nick Cave’s moving cover on Flea’s recent jazz album, Honora.

“Honey (I Miss You)” by Tammy Wynette

Tammy Wynette’s heartbreaking ballad, which was written by Bobby Russell, begins with a tree. She remembers the day she planted it and then details happy and sad moments with her husband. The episodes aren’t individually monumental, but they accumulate into a life together. It’s later revealed that she has passed away, and her husband begins to adjust to a permanent absence. He eventually finds the space to laugh again, the initial pain of loss will lessen, and though her memory lingers, it does become a faint recollection like the twig that became a giant tree.

“Home Is Where A Kid Grows Up” by Merle Haggard and The Strangers

In Merle Haggard’s nostalgic tune, the country legend longs for home. He sings about an old sweetheart, his friends, and his parents. But Haggard also released one of his signature songs, “Mama Tried”, in 1968. There, he laments letting his mother down as her son eventually wound up in prison. However, taken together, we see that even outlaws feel the wistful tug of familiarity. And thanks to a prison gig by Johnny Cash, Haggard found a straighter path forward, even while he reminisced about going back home.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images