John Anderson is in a league all his own in country music. Beginning in 1978 with “The Girl At The End Of The Bar”, his first Top 40 single at radio, Anderson has become one of country music’s most iconic vocalists, with an unmatched delivery.
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Although he has far too many hits to mention, these are four John Anderson songs that are pure country gold.
“Swingin’”
One of Anderson’s most revered songs, “Swingin’” came out in 1983. His second No.1 single, Anderson wrote “Swingin’” with Lionel Delmore. “Swingin’” is on Anderson’s fourth studio album, Wild & Blue.
A sweet song about young love, “Swingin’” says, “And we were swingin’ / Yes, we were swingin’ / Little Charlotte, she’s as pretty as the angels when they sing / I can’t believe I’m out here on her front porch in this swing / Just a-swingin‘.”
“Seminole Wind”
“Seminole Wind” is the title track of Anderson’s 1992 album, and a pivotal song in his career. Written solely by Anderson, “Seminole Wind” peaked inside the Top 5, although fans still love the song decades later.
“Seminole Wind” says, “So blow, blow Seminole wind / Blow like you’re never gonna blow again / I’m calling to you like a long-lost friend / But I know who you are / And blow, blow from the Okeechobee / All the way up to Micanopy / Blow across the home of the Seminole.”
“Straight Tequila Night”
Out in 1991, “Straight Tequila Night” became a No. 1 hit for Anderson. On Seminole Wind, “Straight Tequila Night” is written by Debbie Hupp and Kent Robbins.
The song says, “Tonight, she’s only sipping white wine / She’s friendly and fun-loving most of the time / But don’t ask her on a straight tequila night / She’ll start thinking about him, and she’s ready to fight / Blames her broken heart on every man in sight / On a straight tequila night.”
“Straight Tequila Night” became Anderson’s first No.1 hit in almost a decade, since his 1983 “Black Sheep” single. Anderson didn’t write “Straight Tequila Night”, not that it mattered to him.
“I think I’m able to bring as much feeling to a song I didn’t write,” Anderson tells the LA Times. “I know my songs come from the heart, and when I choose songs that other people have written, it’s when I relate to them to the point that I wish I had written them.”
“Money In The Bank”
The final No. 1 of Anderson’s historic career, “Money In The Bank” is written by Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard, and Mark D. Sanders. “Money In The Bank” appears on Anderson’s Solid Ground record.
Money In The Bank” says, “Well, the sky’s the limit, there’s no price too high / Baby, you’re the apple of my eye / Got my paycheck in my pocket and some gas in the tank / Honey, your love’s better than money in the bank.”
Photo by Frank Mullen/WireImage
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