3 Country Songs That Artists Couldn’t Perform Without Crying

Songs are like journals of artists’ lives. More often than not, they are deeply personal to whoever is singing them. Because of this, emotions sometimes get the better of musicians. The three country artists below have all struggled to get through one of their songs on stage because of their deeply emotional qualities. Revisit these tear-jerking country songs.

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“Go Rest High On That Mountain” by Vince Gill

On a normal day, Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High On That Mountain” is a tear-jerker. But when he had to perform it for George Jones’ funeral, the song became too much to bear. Gill famously broke down while performing this ballad in tribute to the late country giant, adding even more emotional weight to a song that’s already like a punch to the gut.

Though this song was an apt send-off for Jones, it wasn’t written for him. Instead, this track was written for Gill’s brother, which explains the intimacy of his singing. But this song has evolved to be about much more than just one man. In eulogizing his brother, Gill offered comfort to every country fan experiencing loss.

“Getting to perform ‘Go Rest High On That Mountain’ is an opportunity, every time I get to sing it, not only to honor my brother—the reason it was written—but also to provide some comfort for people who have dealt with loss,” Gill once said.

“Over You” by Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert co-wrote “Over You” with her then-husband, Blake Shelton. The pair wrote this track as a tribute to Shelton’s late brother. Naturally, this song was imbued with a massive emotional weight. Lambert shouldered it well, but there was no mistaking the pain at its center.

“That’s the only time I’ve ever gotten that emotional writing a song, and him, too,” Lambert once said. “So, I think the initial emotion came out right that day, and I think you hear it in the lyrics.”

Lambert has teared up while singing this song on multiple occasions. No fan could knock that fact, given the subject matter.

“Better As A Memory” by Kenny Chesney

The reason Kenny Chesney once broke down on stage while performing “Better As A Memory” was more circumstantial than it was about the song itself. Nevertheless, this tenderhearted ballad does provoke some emotion, no doubt prompting him to let go in that moment.

Chesney famously cried while singing this song in 2009 due to tour exhaustion. However, this song would be enough to have any artist crying on stage, no outside emotions required.

(Photo by Sherry Rayn Barnett/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)