Most songs will put their best line in the chorus, or at least the opening verse. You want your song to instantly grab the listener, as not everyone has the patience to wait for a hook. But some brave songwriters take the risk of letting their best line hide elsewhere in the song. The three country songs below all have a great line in their second verse that arguably rivals any other lyric.
Videos by American Songwriter
“The Dance” — Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks’ “The Dance” is a song that’s evolved to be about a lot of things. The listener can’t help but attach the lyrics to this country classic to their own lives. But, if there’s anything overarching about this song, it’s that it’s about loving someone so greatly that you’d take on any heartbreak necessary to keep them in your life—be it a relationship or a lost loved one, or anything in between.
The most tender line in this song comes in at the second verse. “And holding you, I held everything,” Brooks sings, summing up the feeling of all-encompassing love very quickly. It’s a line that’s the lifeblood of this song, tucked away in an unassuming spot.
“Colder Weather” — Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band’s “Colder Weather” tells the story of a truck driver who misses his loved one back home. It’s not a story that every listener can relate to, but it covers feelings of loneliness and heartache that anyone can empathize with. The story gets truly heartbreaking in the second verse.
“At a truck stop diner, just outside of Lincoln / The night is black as the coffee he was drinkin’ / And in the waitress’ eyes he sees the same old light is shinin’ / He thinks of Colorado and the girl he left behind him,” the second verse reads, making the listener feel the emotions of the main character.
“Springsteen” — Eric Church
Eric Church’s “Springsteen” is painfully nostalgic. It dissects music’s ability to take us back to a certain time and place, all while doing that very thing. For Church, teenagedom feels like listening to Bruce Springsteen’s music with an old flame. The second verse really sets a scene, painting a portrait of youthful abandon and first loves.
“Fired up my daddy’s lighter and we sang, “Oh” / Stayed there ’til they forced us out / And took the long way to your house / I can still hear the sound of you sayin’, “Don’t go,” he sings in this visceral verse.
(Photo by Neil Kitson/Redferns/Getty Images)
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