Country music is known for its sad songs, and rightfully so. But in 1971, some of the saddest country songs were ever released, including these three, which are truly heartbreaking.
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“How Can I Unlove You” by Lynn Anderson
The title track of Lynn Anderson’s 13th album, “How Can I Unlove You” is the only single from the record. Written by Joe South, who also wrote “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden“, “How Can I Unlove You” is one of Anderson’s numerous No. 1 hits.
The tragic song says, “I’ll never, never uncry the tears / That I cried when you said goodbye / No, I’ll never, never unmiss / The thrill that I missed when we used to kiss / How can I unsay the things I said to you? / And how can I undo the things that we used to do? / Tell me, how can I unfeel the way I feel for you? / How can I unlove you?“
Anderson recorded another version of “How Can I Unlove You” for her 2004 The Bluegrass Sessions album.
“My Blue Tears” by Dolly Parton
On Dolly Parton’s iconic Coat Of Many Colors album is “My Blue Tears”. Written by Parton, the song came out right before the record’s title track.
“My Blue Tears” says, “Go light your blue sky, and I’ll shed my blue tears / For the only one that I have ever loved has gone away / And I am in no mood for the sunshine today / And I don’t know when, or if ever again / I will see your sweet face, but I feel / It’s forever goodbye, though I can’t say why / But I’ll sit here and cry my lonely blue tears.”
Surprisingly, “My Blue Tears” was not a big hit at country radio for Parton. But it did hit the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
“How Much More Can She Stand” by Conway Twitty
The title track of one of Conway Twitty’s many albums, Harry Compton is the only writer of “How Much More Can She Stand”. Twitty’s sixth No. 1 single, the song is an honest admission of a man’s wayward ways, who rightfully feels guilty about his wife that puts him with his philandering.
“How Much More Can She Stand” says, “It’s so hard for me to call her / I can hardly dial the phone / I did wrong again last night / Now I just want to go back home / She knows that I lied / Lord, she’ll cry where I can’t see / How much more can she stand / And still stand by me?“
According to Classic Country Music Stories, Compton pitched it directly to Twitty, after first pitching it to numerous other artists. As soon as he heard it, Twitty reportedly said it would be his next single, and he kept his word.
Photo by Jack Kay/Daily Express/Getty Images
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