George Jones is hailed as the greatest country singer in the history of the genre. In his prime, he had one of the best voices anyone had ever heard. More importantly, he had immaculate control over his voice. He was, in short, a force to be reckoned with. At the same time, he recorded some of the saddest songs in the country music canon. Many believe that “He Stopped Loving Her Today” is the saddest among those songs but it isn’t here’s why.
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First of all, no one is saying that “He Stopped Loving Her Today” isn’t a moving song. It is, without a doubt, a certified tear-jerker. If you ever want to see a grown man cry, just play that song and wait for the waterworks to start, no matter how many times he’s heard it. However, at least one song tops it in the sadness department.
[RELATED: Watch George Jones Perform “He Stopped Loving Her Today” to an Adoring Crowd in Tennessee]
Why Isn’t “He Stopped Loving Her Today” George Jones’ Saddest Song?
George Jones knew “He Stopped Loving Her Today” was heavy when he heard it for the first time. In fact, he initially didn’t want to record it. Jones famously told his producer Owen Bradley, “Nobody’ll buy that morbid son of a b*tch.” He was wrong. The song sparked his comeback in the ‘80s.
Take a closer look at the lyrics, though. Yes, as Jones said, it’s a little morbid. In the song’s final verse, it talks about the man wearing his funeral suit and a rictus grin. However, the song is more touching than sad. It’s about a man who fell in love with a woman and continued to love her until he drew his final breath despite her leaving him years prior. Anyone would be lucky to find that kind of love.
“The Grand Tour” Is Sadder
While it’s subjective, I’d say “The Grand Tour” is an overall sadder song than “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
In “The Grand Tour” George Jones sings about a house that’s haunted by a relationship that died. The song’s narrator’s wife left him and took their child but left everything else. Or, as Jones sings in the final verse As you leave you’ll see the nursery. / Oh, she left me without mercy / Taking nothing but / Our baby and my heart.
In “He Stopped Loving Her Today” the man chose to keep mementos of his lost love to remind him of what he had. In “The Grand Tour” on the other hand, the narrator lives in a house filled with memories. He can’t sit in his chair, lie down in his bed, or open his closet without seeing stark reminders of the woman who left him. In short, it’s a lyrical gut punch from beginning to end.
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