Some country songs were timely when they were released. But thanks to advanced technology, the lyrics are no longer as relevant. Still, that doesn’t mean we would rather not keep playing them. These three hit country songs from the 90s all have outdated lyrics, but we keep listening to them anyway.
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“Why Haven’t I Heard From You” by Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire had a Top 5 single in 1994 with “Why Haven’t I Heard From You“. Written by Sandy Knox and T. W. Hale, the song is on McEntire’s Read My Mind record.
“Why Haven’t I Heard From You” is a song about wondering why someone’s significant other isn’t reaching out. Of course, in 1994, no one likely could have imagined that more than two decades later, everyone would carry a phone in their pocket or purse.
The humorous song says, “Well, there’s no problem gettin’ to me / Baby, you can dial direct / I got call forwarding and call waiting / You can even call collect / The service man, he told me that my phone is working fine / And I have come to the conclusion trouble isn’t with my line / I’m sure the operator will be glad to put you through / So dial zero for assistance if this all confuses you / So tell me why haven’t I heard from you.”
According to Country Thang Daily, Knox had the idea for the song by reading a National Geographic magazine all about how Bell’s telephone invention changed the world.
“No News” by Lonestar
“No News” is Lonestar’s second single, and first No. 1 hit. Out in 1995 on their eponymous freshman record, Phil Barnhart, Sam Hogin, and Mark D. Sanders wrote the tune.
About a man whose girlfriend left, promising she’d reach out when she found herself, “No News” offers some now-antiquated methods of communication, including the once-popular fax machine. The song says, “She could telephone, tell a friend, tell a lie about where she’s been / Send a pigeon, send a fax, write it on a post-it pad / Send a signal up in smoke, tap it out in Morse Code / I’d prefer a bad excuse to no news.”
“Better Things To Do” by Terri Clark
Not all goodbyes are heartbreaking, at least according to Terri Clark. Her 1995 debut single, “Better Things To Do” is a comedic take on what happens when a relationship ends.
Written by Clark, along with Tom Shapiro and Chris Waters, “Better Things To Do” is on Clark’s self-titled first record. A popular song in her concerts today, the song references The Phil Donahue Show, a talk show that aired on TV from 1967 to 1996.
“Better Things To Do” says, “Maybe when I don’t have so much going / Or quite so many irons in the fire / I’ll take the time to miss you like you’re hoping / But now, I can’t put forth the effort it requires / Well, I’d love to talk to you, but then I’d miss Donahue / That’s right, I got better things to do.”
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
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