3 Country Songs Every Songwriter Secretly Wishes They Wrote

Country music is about songwriting, first and foremost. The genre is full of top-notch songwriters and their equally powerful efforts. Every songwriter has a song they wish they had written. The three below are frequent picks when someone is asked which hit they envy. These songs are so stellar that everyone in the country scene measures themselves against them.

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[RELATED: 4 Country Songs From the 2000s That Wrote the Book on Sad Songwriting]

“I Will Always Love You” — Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” was so powerful that it got a second life in the pop scene, thanks to Whitney Houston. That iconic cover speaks to the universality of this Parton hit. If a songwriter dreams of anything, it’s writing a song that almost everyone can form an attachment to. Parton succeeded tenfold in that goal.

This song can be about anything or anyone. Everyone has someone they think of when this song comes on, whether it’s a romantic attachment, a family member, or a friend. That’s the real draw of this country hit. Generations of country songwriters have dreamed of penning a song just as beloved.

“Tennessee Whiskey” — Chris Stapleton

Many people are just envious that Chris Stapleton had the good sense to cover “Tennessee Whiskey,” let alone the songwriters who penned such an enduring song. Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove penned this song for David Allan Coe, but it was really Stapleton that brought it to life. The multiple versions of this song prove just how relatable it is. That relatability is something many songwriters strive for, but few earn.

With the way that this song completely catapulted Stapleton to fame, there were many songwriters and artists alike likely kicking themselves that they had never written a bar song so succinctly catchy and affecting.

“The Gambler” — Kenny Rogers

Country music loves a storytelling song. The genre prides itself on well-written narratives. If one song is the golden standard of country narration, it’s Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.” Penned by Don Schlitz, this track hits every note perfectly. It’s got a moral everyone can learn from and is set against a vivid backdrop.

Pretty much every country songwriter has written a storytelling song at one point or another. Each of them is aiming to measure up to this country classic. However, no one has been able to craft an equal to this Rogers staple.

(Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)