“That’s One of the Ones I Hate Missing”: Tim McGraw Once Passed on a Song That Became a Huge Hit for Another Country Legend

Tim McGraw had some of the biggest hit country songs of the 1990s, He topped the charts with tracks like “Just to See You Smile,” “Where the Green Grass Grows,” “Not a Moment Too Soon,” and several others. However, he passed on what would become a four-week No. 1 for his fellow ’90s hitmaker, George Strait.

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Recently, McGraw appeared on Tracy Lawrence’s podcast, TL’s Roadhouse, to talk about his life and career and share memories with his old friend. During their conversation, McGraw recalled the time he passed on a massive hit that went to Strait.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1997, Tim McGraw Released the Faith Hill Duet That Changed His Life Forever]

Tim McGraw Passed on the George Strait Hit “Carrying Your Love with Me”

During the podcast appearance, one of Tracy Lawrence’s crew members shared a fan-submitted question. The fan wanted to know if there was a song he felt could have been a hit but slipped through his fingers. “There are a few,” Tim McGraw replied. “There were songs that I passed on, songs that I thought were hits that I sent on to other people because I thought they would be better for them,” he explained.

“I don’t know that I ever passed on anything that I wished I [recorded]. The only song is ‘Carrying Your Love with Me,’ the George Strait song. It just so happened that one of the songwriters pitched it to him and one of the songwriters pitched it to me at the same time,” he recalled. Both artists liked the song and put it on “hold” to record in the future. Then, McGraw learned that Strait had picked the song and decided to let him have it. “That’s one of the ones I hate missing out on because it’s one of my favorite George Strait songs.”

George Strait Scores a Major Hit with “Carrying Your Love with Me”

Steve Bogard and Jeff Stevens co-wrote “Carrying Your Love with Me,” and George Strait released it as the second single and title track from his 1997 album. The track went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and stayed there for four weeks.

Interestingly, “Carrying Your Love with Me” started its run at No. 1 on the chart dated July 19. It dethroned “It’s Your Love,” the duet from Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, ending its six-week run at the top of the chart.

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