4 Country Hits That Were Also Part of Movie Soundtracks

It’s cool enough to have a country song be a hit at radio. But some artists are so fortunate that their song is also part of a movie soundtrack. These four country songs were all radio hits and also part of a big movie’s soundtrack.

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“Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” by Luke Combs

Luke Combs wrote “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” for the 2024 Twisters film. The song became a No. 1 hit for Combs.

“Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” says, “I keep chasing that same old devil / Down the same old dead-end highway / Riding that storm running through my veins / Like a shot down tailspun airplane / Scared of nothing and I’m scared to death / I can’t breathe and I catch my breath / But I keep chasing that same old devil / Down the same old dead-end highway / Ain’t no love in Oklahoma / Just the whistle of a long black train / You’ll know when it’s coming for ya. Riding in on the wind and rain.”

 “Some of my favorite lyrics in the song are kind of the juxtaposition of ‘I can’t breathe then I catch my breath,’ and ‘Ain’t scared of nothin’, but I’m scared to death,’” Combs tells Audacy. “I love whatever that tension that those lines provide is some of my favorite stuff in this tune.”

“9 To 5” by Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton released “9 To 5” in 1980 as a single on her 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs album. Written by Parton, “9 To 5” also appears in the film of the same name, starring Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda.

“9 To 5” says, “Workin’ nine to five, what a way to make a livin’ / Barely gettin’ by, it’s all takin’ and no givin’ / They just use your mind and they never give you credit / It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it / Nine to five, for service and devotion / You would think that I would deserve a fair promotion / Want to move ahead but the boss won’t seem to let me / I swear sometimes that man is out to get me.”

“I Cross My Heart” by George Strait

In 1992, George Strait released “I Cross My Heart” on his Pure Country album. The song, written by Steve Dorff and Eric Kaz, also appears in the Pure Country film, starring Strait. A big hit for Strait, Dorff recalls the song almost didn’t become a single.

“We made a great record,” Dorff tells The Tennessean. “And then everybody was scared to put it out as the first single from the movie because it’s a ballad. You don’t lead with a new album with a movie with a ballad that doesn’t sound anything like George Strait, but they did. And it was a monster.”

The romantic song says, “I cross my heart and promise to / Give all I’ve got to give to make all your dreams come true / In all the world, you’ll never find / A love as true as mine.”

“How Do I Live” by Trisha Yearwood

There might not be a bigger movie soundtrack hit than “How Do I Live”. Written by Diane Warren, the song was first recorded by LeAnn Rimes for the 1997 Con Air film. When producers thought Rimes’ version sounded too young, they tapped Trisha Yearwood to sing it instead.

Both Yearwood and Rimes had hit singles at radio with “How Do I Live”. Interestingly, both singers were also nominated for a Grammy for their performance of the song, with the trophy going to Yearwood.

“How Do I Live” says, “How do I live without you? / I want to know / How do I breathe without you? / If you ever go / How do I ever, ever survive / How do I, how do I, oh how do I live.”

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