While there is no shortage of country songs waxing poetic about the transcendental power of love, the dark side of romance is just as well represented. Sometimes marriages end, and not always amicably. And sometimes, both parties see that end coming for so long that when the inevitable happens, all they can do is make light of it. Country singer Jerry Reed did just that with “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)”. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on this day (September 20) in 1982.
The Real-Life Divorce Behind the Song
Penned by future top Arista Records executive Tim DuBois, “She Got the Goldmine” narrates the story of a marriage ending.
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The messy divorce ends with the husband “workin’ two shifts, eatin’ baloney.” Meanwhile, the wife “lives like a queen on alimony.”
Legend has it that DuBois based the song on a real-life divorce case. A friend going through a split from his wife told the songwriter that he viewed his marriage as a goldmine. Unfortunately for him, she got all the gold and all he got was the shaft.
That line rattled around in DuBois’ mind for years. Then, one snowy day in January, he decided to write a song to pass the time. DuBois wrote “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)” mainly to amuse himself.
Nothing happened with the song for several years. Then Jerry Reed decided to record and release it as the third and final single from his album The Man with the Golden Thumb.
The country music legend’s focus had shifted to acting in the late 1970s, starring in films including the 1977 action-comedy classic Smokey and the Bandit.
As a result, Reed hadn’t seen the top of the charts since 1973’s “Lord, Mr. Ford”. But thanks to his witty delivery and strong vocals, “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) breathed new life into his country music career.
According to Country Music Universe, “Jerry Reed’s biggest hits have always bordered on novelty, but the pain in this one is too palpable for it to be reduced to a comedy track.”
The Clever Link to Another Jerry Reed Classic
In an unexpected twist at the end of “She Got the Goldmine”, we hear the husband explain to the judge that he no longer requires his billfold. His income has fallen enough that “I’m gonna be carryin’ food stamps.”
Immediately, we hear the judge find our narrator in contempt of court. This is a callback to Jerry Reed’s first number-one country hit, 1971’s “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”.
“She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) earned Reed a Grammy nod for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. However, he ultimately lost to Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind.”
While Jerry Reed poured everything he had into the song, he wasn’t singing from experience. The “Lord Mr. Ford” singer was married to country singer Priscilla Mitchell from 1959 until his death on September 1, 2008, at age 71.
Featured image by Ken Vaughan/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
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