Country music in the late 1990s became an unforgettable chapter in country music. So many great country songs came out in the second half of the decade, including these three tunes. All out in 1998, I still can’t help but smile when I hear them today.
“Honey, I’m Home” by Shania Twain
Twain had an impressive five hit singles in 1998, including “Honey, I’m Home”. The song is a tongue-in-cheek look at the disparity between men and women. “Honey, I’m Home” is part of Twain’s Come On Over record.
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Twain and her then-husband, Robert “Mutt” Lange, co-wrote this song and all of the tracks on Come On Over. The humorous tune says, “Honey, I’m home, and I had a hard day / Pour me a cold one and oh, by the way / Rub my feet, give me something to eat / Fix me up my favorite treat.”
Come On Over also includes “You’re Still The One”, one of Twain’s biggest crossover hits.
“Where The Green Grass Goes” by Tim McGraw
“Where The Green Grass Grows” is an anthem celebrating a return to the rural lifestyle. Tim McGraw includes “Where The Green Grass Grows” on his Everywhere record. Jess Leary and Craig Wiseman are the two writers of the multi-platinum single.
“Where The Green Grass Grows” says in part, “I’m gonna live where the green grass grows / Watch my corn pop up in rows / Every night be tucked in close to you.”
When Leary and Wiseman wrote “Where The Green Grass Grows”, they were both looking for a place to live away from the city.
“We both had some of that going on and were trying to touch on that. A little bit of being tired of the urban thing, and simplicity appealing to you again,” Wiseman says.
“Bye Bye” by Jo Dee Messina
“Bye Bye” is a break-up song… sort of. A feel-good tune about not waiting around for someone to make up their mind, “Bye Bye” became Jo Dee Messina’s first No. 1 single. The song, written by Phil Vassar and Rory Bourke, is on Messina’s sophomore I’m Alright record.
The feisty tune says, “I’ve tried all I can imagine / I’ve begged and pleaded in true lover’s fashion / I’ve got pride, I’m takin’ it for a ride / Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye.”
“Bye Bye” became a two-week No. 1 hit for Messina. The video was nominated for a CMA Award.
Photo by Stephane Cardinale/Sygma via Getty Images
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