There isn’t a genre of music that tugs on emotions as much as country music. Some country songs are full of joy, while some are full of heartbreak. These three country songs all came out in 1987. They are also among the saddest country songs ever released.
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“The Last One To Know” by Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire had a No. 1 hit with “The Last One To Know“. The title track of McEntire’s studio album, Jane Bach and Matraca Berg are the two writers of the song. “The Last One To Know” is about someone who is in love with a person who has already moved on to someone else.
“The Last One To Know” says, “I guess I should’ve felt it when you touched me / I should’ve seen it in your eyes / Well, I believed you really loved me / Why can’t I believe you said goodbye? / Oh, why is the last one to know / The first one to cry and the last to let go / Oh, why is the one left behind / The one left alone with no one to hold / The last one to know.”
“The Weekend” by Steve Wariner
Bill LaBounty and Beckie Foster are the writers of “The Weekend“, one of Steve Wariner’s saddest country songs he has ever released. The song is about someone who wanted a weekend fling, while the other person wanted a more permanent relationship.
“The Weekend” says, “You had some fun for the weekend / But I’ll be in love for the rest of my life / You took me out to the deep end / And I fell right over / I didn’t think twice / I finally got something worth keepin’ / And if I can’t have you tonight / At least I had the weekend.”
On Wariner’s It’s A Crazy World record, the song became one of his many No. 1 hits.
“Life Turned Her That Way” by Ricky Van Shelton
Ricky Van Shelton had his second No. 1 hit with “Life Turned Her That Way”. Written by hit songwriter Harlan Howard, the song is about having empathy for a woman who has had a hard and challenging life. Even sadder, the person singing the song inflicted some of the pain.
Howard later revealed that the song was inspired by his second wife, Jan Howard, who was a single mom when they met.
“Life Turned Her That Way” says, “She’s been walked on / And stepped on / So many times / And I hate to admit it / But the last footprint’s mine / She was cryin’ / When I met her / She cries harder today / So don’t blame her / Life turned her that way.”
Before Shelton recorded “Life Turned Her That Way”, it was a hit for Little Jimmy Dickens in 1967. Other artists who recorded the song include Mel Tillis, Charley Pride, and George Jones.
Photo by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images
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