Country music in the early 1970s remains some of the best within the genre. Especially in 1973, there were some truly unforgettable country songs released, including these three. They are all so good that it’s likely that every kid from the 1970s still knows them word for word today.
“Why Me” by Kris Kristofferson
One of Kris Kristofferson’s most notable songs is “Why Me”. The song is Kristofferson’s first and only No. 1 single.
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“Why Me” is part of Kristofferson’s Jesus Was A Capricorn album. Kristofferson wrote “Why Me” by himself. The song says, “Why me Lord what have I ever done / To deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known / Tell me, Lord, what did I ever do / That was worth lovin’ you or the kindness you’ve shown.”
Kristofferson was inspired to write “Why Me” after attending a church service, where he was moved by the message of Reverend Jimmie Rogers.
“I can’t even remember what he was saying,” Kristofferson later recalled. “But whatever it was was such a release for me that I found myself weeping in public. I felt this forgiveness that I didn’t know I needed.”
“We’re Gonna Hold On” by George Jones and Tammy Wynette
George Jones and Tammy Wynette released several duets over the years, including “We’re Gonna Hold On”. The song is the title track of their fifth duets album together.
Written by Jones and Earl Montgomery, “We’re Gonna Hold On” says, “Some love lives and some love don’t / We’ve got the kind of love we want / It brings us happiness all through the day / Nothing can ever make it go away / We’re gonna hold on.”
Unfortunately, the song did not prove truthful for Jones and Wynette, who divorced in 1975, after just six years of marriage.
“I Love” by Tom T. Hall
Tom T. Hall had plenty of hits in the 1970s, including “I Love”. The song, written solely by Hall, is on his For The People In The Last Hard Town project. It is Hall’s only single from the record.
The sweet and simple song says, “I love honest open smiles, kisses from a child, tomatoes on the vine, and onions / I love winners when they cry, losers when they try, music when it’s good, and life / And I love you too.”
Not only did “I Love” become a two-week No. 1 for Hall, but it also became a crossover hit for him, peaking inside the Top 15 on the Adult Contemporary chart as well. “I Love” was later included in the album Country Songs For Children.
Photo by Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images
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Steve Earle performs at First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 16, 1986. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
English singer, songwriter and musician, George Michael (1963-2016) performs live on stage at an Aids awareness charity concert at Wembley Arena in London in April 1987. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
John Lennon, Beatles associate Alexis Mardas (aka Magic Alex), Paul McCartney, and John's driver Les Anthony at London Airport, 11 May 1968. John and Paul were bound for New York to launch the Beatles company Apple. (Photo by Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
