Country music has a long history of tugging at our emotions, whether happy or sad. But these three country songs, all out in 1967, are among the most heart-wrenching country songs ever released.
“I Don’t Wanna Play House” by Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette released “I Don’t Wanna Play House” on her Take Me to Your World / I Don’t Wanna Play House album. Written by Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton, the song became Wynette’s first No.1 hit.
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“I Don’t Wanna Play House” is about a young girl who tells a neighbor boy she doesn’t want to play house, after watching her parents’ marriage crumble. The song says, “I don’t wanna play house / I know it can’t be fun / I’ve watched mommy and daddy / And if that’s the way it’s done / I don’t wanna play house / It makes my mommy cry / ‘Cause when she played house / My daddy said goodbye.”
Wynette earned her first Grammy nomination, and her first win, for Best Country & Western Solo Vocal Performance, Female, with this song.
“Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)” by Leon Ashley
Leon Ashley wrote “Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)” with Margie Singleton. The title track of his freshman album, the song is the only chart-topping single of Ashley’s career, at least as an artist.
“Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)” begins with, “Laura, hold these hands and count my fingers / Laura, touch these lips you once desired / Lay your head upon my chest and hear my heartbeat / Gently run your fingers through my hair / Touch these ears that listened to your wishes / Most of them, fulfilled and that’s a lot / Let your soft gentle hands caress my body / And then tell me what he’s got that I ain’t got.”
The sad song was later recorded by numerous other artists, including Frankie Laine and Marty Robbins. In 1976, Kenny Rogers had a Top 20 single with “Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)”.
“Lonely Again” by Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold had already had released more than a dozen albums when Lonely Again came out in 1967. The title track, written by Jean Chapel, became a two-week No. 1 hit for Arnold.
“Lonely Again” says, “Just when I’m sure / That my heart is secure / And my teardrops are dry / With a warm glow inside / And this love of mine / ‘Til the end of the line / That’s always the time / That I’m lonely again.”
A country hit for Arnold, “Lonely Again” also became a Top 15 single on the Adult Contemporary chart as well. Connie Francis also had a hit single with “Lonely Again” that same year, on the Easy Listening chart.
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