Country music was going through a lot of changes and transitions in the 1960s. At the time, it was impossible to predict how much that decade would influence the future of country music. These three country songs all came out in 1964, and all helped shape the genre.
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“I Guess I’m Crazy” by Jim Reeves
By the time Jim Reeves released “I Guess I’m Crazy”, he was no stranger to having hits on the radio. But “I Guess I’m Crazy”, on his The Best of Jim Reeves Vol. II record, also became a crossover hit for him, in addition to becoming a No. 1 hit at country radio. It’s a feat even more impressive since the song was released shortly after Reeves was killed in a plane crash.
Werly Fairburn wrote “I Guess I’m Crazy”, which was first recorded by Tommy Collins. But it’s Reeves’ version that is best known, spending seven weeks at the top of the charts.
“I Guess I’m Crazy” says, “I guess I’m crazy for loving you / You tell me many ways that I won’t do / My heart keeps sayin’ that I’m a fool / I guess I’m crazy for loving you.”
“Once A Day” by Connie Smith
Connie Smith’s “Once A Day” spent the final five weeks of 1964 at the top of the charts. It also happens to be Smith’s debut single.
“Once A Day” says, “When you found somebody new, I thought I never would / Forget you, for I thought then I never could / But time has taken all the pains away / Until now, I’m down to cryin’ once a day / Once a day, all day long / From dusk ’til dawn / The only time I wish you weren’t gone / Is once a day, every day, all day long.”
Written by Bill Anderson and on Smith’s self-titled freshman record, the song was later covered by Loretta Lynn and Glen Campbell, among others.
“King Of The Road” by Roger Miller
“King Of The Road” became a multi-week No. 1 hit for Roger Miller. It remains his signature song. Written by Miller, “King Of The Road” is a massive crossover hit for Miller. It also won him five Grammy Awards, including for Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Male.
The song celebrates the freedom of living life on the road, without many material possessions. It says in part, “Third boxcar, midnight train / Destination: Bangor, Maine / Old worn out suit and shoes / I don’t pay no union dues / I smoke, old stogies I have found / Short, but not too big around / I’m a man of means, by no means / King of the road.”
One year after “King Of The Road” was released, Miller had the final chart-topping single of his extensive career, with “England Swings”.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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