The 1980s were quite the decade in country music. As the genre made its way into the 1990s, these four 1989 country songs were among the best lyrics ever written.
Videos by American Songwriter
“If Tomorrow Never Comes” by Garth Brooks
“If Tomorrow Never Comes” is Garth Brooks’ second single, and his first No. 1 hit. On his eponymous debut album, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” Brooks and Kent Blazy are the two writers of the song.
A sweet love song, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” says, “If tomorrow never comes / Will she know how much I loved her? / Did I try in every way to show her every day / That she’s my only one? / And if my time on earth were through / And she must face the world without me / Is the love I gave her in the past / Gonna be enough to last / If tomorrow never comes.”
Ironically, now one of Brooks’ more popular songs, he didn’t think it would be much of a success, until he heard it on the radio.
“I didn’t really know it would be a hit until I heard it by chance on the radio in my truck, and I knew we had something,” Brooks admits (via Songfacts). “There was something in it that moved me, and I could feel the tears come to my eyes.”
“I Wonder Do You Think Of Me” by Keith Whitley
“I Wonder Do You Think Of Me” might be one of Keith Whitley’s saddest songs, and not just because of the lyrics. The song came out in June, one month after Whitley passed away from acute alcohol poisoning.
Written by Sanger D. Shafer, “I Wonder Do You Think Of Me” begins with, “If you drive around / Back in our old hometown / I wonder, do you think of me? / When you drive by a school / Do you remember two fools? / I wonder, do you think of me?”
Songfacts: I Wonder Do You Think Of Me | Keith Whitley
Kenny Chesney covered this in 2004 and included it as a bonus track on the Target edition of his album When The Sun Goes Down.
“Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” by Holly Dunn
The angst is palpable in “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” by Holly Dunn. The song is on her The Blue Rose Of Texas record. “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” is written by Dunn, along with Tom Shapiro and Chris Waters.
The sad song says, “I’ve been waiting for you baby / You’ve been taking your time too long / Don’t be so shy, ooh it’s alright / This is one night you can’t go wrong / Are you ever gonna love me? Are you ever gonna come around? / I gotta know, I gotta know, I gotta know / If you ever want to hold me, then you gotta stop holdin’ out / If you’re gonna love me, love me now.”
“Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” is Holly Dunn’s first No. 1 single.
“After All This Time” by Rodney Crowell
On Rodney Crowell’s Diamonds & Dirt record, “After All This Time” is written just by Crowell. A No. 1 single for Crowell, it also earned him three CMA Awards nominations.
“After All This Time” says, “‘Cause my heart takes so long to mend / The dream that keeps your hopes alive / The lonely nights you hold inside / And after all this time / You’re always on my mind / I still want you.”
Photo by Bob King/Redferns
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