From the beginning of Alabama’s career, they planted their roots firmly in country music. And no one was more surprised than the Alabama members when “Feels So Right“, their seventh single, also became a hit on the pop charts.
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The title track of their third studio album, “Feels So Right” is written by lead singer Randy Owen. The song came as the band was in the middle of a massive streak on the radio, becoming their fourth consecutive No. 1 single.
What makes “Feels So Right” stand out even more is that the lyrics seemed quite suggestive, especially in 1981, when the single was released. The song says, “Whisper to me softly / Breathe words upon my skin / No one’s near and listening / So please don’t say goodbye / Just hold me close and love me / Press your lips to mine / Mmm, feels so right, feels so right / Lying here beside you / I hear the echoes of your sighs / Promise me you’ll stay with me / And keep me warm tonight.”
The Story Behind “Feels So Right” By Alabama
According to Classic Country Music Stories, Owen was just 19 years old when he wrote “Feels So Right”. The song was reportedly inspired by a girlfriend of Owen’s, with the singer writing “Feels So Right” in just 15 minutes.
“Feels So Right” could have been a hit for someone else instead. Owen first tried getting it recorded by another artist. It could have happened if Owen had given the song a bridge, as was often requested. Owen wasn’t interested in changing the song, fortunately for Alabama, so he held onto it.
“Feels So Right” might have been risky at the time, but the song paid off. The success of the song, and some of their other songs, goes to their fans, at least according to Owen.
“The young people really latched onto us,” Owen tells Country Weekly. “We were told by some labels that fans weren’t ready for that … they weren’t going to accept a band. That was too rock’ n’ roll. We heard all of that. We were turned down by everyone for a while.”
“Feel So Right” not only became a crossover hit, but it is also Alabama’s first multi-week No. 1 single. The song stayed at the top of the charts for two weeks. It also helped pave the way for other songs to crossover for Alabama, including “Love In The First Degree”. Released right after “Feels So Right”, “Love In The First Degree” became a Top 5 at pop radio for Alabama.
Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
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