Country music has long upheld the tradition of producing great songs with stories. This means that the lyrics pull you in and stay with you once the songs are done. Here are some great country lyrics from 1986 that every songwriter should take note of.
“On The Other Hand” by Randy Travis
“On one hand, I could stay (aah) / And be your lovin’ man / But the reason I must go / Is on the other hand.”
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I mean, this has got to be one of country music’s most clever songs. In “On The Other Hand”, Randy Travis sings about the possibility of being unfaithful. He also sings about the reasons why he would or would not choose to be. On one hand, he could find plenty of reasons, but on the other hand is a symbol of his marriage. After being reissued in 1986, “On the Other Hand” became Travis’ first No. 1 in the US and Canada.
“Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)” by Dan Seals
“And oh, the crowd will always love you / But as for me, I’ve come to know / Everything that glitters is not gold.”
In this song, the narrator sings about a rodeo queen that he was once in love with. She’s also the mother of his daughter, Casey, who asks questions about her often. He explains that while she might’ve been beautiful and beloved by the crowd, nothing can change who she really is or how things turned out, hence the song’s incredible hook.
“You’re The Last Thing I Needed Tonight” by John Schneider
‘Cause I’ve got all that I need to be happy / ‘Cause your love makes everything right / You’re the first thing that I’ll need tomorrow
And you’re the last thing I needed tonight.”
There’s nothing I love more than a song that puts an unexpected twist on a classic phrase. That’s exactly what happens in “You’re The Last Thing I Needed Tonight”. This one first appeared on the album A Memory Like You, and was later released as a single, which went No. 1 on the country chart.
Photo By: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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HEYENNE, WY – JULY 1987: Randy Bruce Traywick, better known as Randy Travis, performs at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo grounds on July, 1987 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A country and gospel musician, singer, songwriter and an actor, Travis won six Grammy awards prior to a massive stroke in 2013. (Photo by Mark Junge/Getty Images)
