There isn’t a genre of music that tells a story better than country music. While it’s a standard that has been part of country music for decades, these four country songs, all released in 1981, tell a story through the lyrics, which are truly memorable.
“Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is the sole writer of “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground“. The song is part of the Honeysuckle Rose soundtrack, a film that also starred Nelson.
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“Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” says, “I knew someday that you would fly away / Love is the greatest healer to be found / So leave me if you need to / I will still remember / Angel flying too close to the ground. So fly on, fly on past, the speed of sound / I’d rather see you up than see you down / So leave me if you need to, I will still remember / Angel flying too close to the ground.”
Nelson also had another hit from Honeysuckle Rose, with his classic “On The Road Again”.
“Seven Year Ache” by Rosanne Cash
Her first No. 1 single, “Seven Year Ache” is the title track of Rosanne Cash’s third studio album. She wrote the song by herself.
“Seven Year Ache” says, “Girls in the bars thinking who is this guy / But they don’t think nothing when they’re telling you lies / You look so careless when they’re shooting that bull / Don’t you know heartaches are heroes when their pockets are full / Tell me you’re trying to cure a seven year ache / See what else your old heart can take / Boys say, ‘When is he gonna give us some room?’ / The girls say, ‘God, I hope he comes back soon.’”
Not only is “Seven Year Ache” Cash’s first time to have a chart-topping country single, but it’s her only Top 10 hit on the pop charts as well. She reportedly had the idea for “Seven Year Ache” after a fight she had with her then-husband, Rodney Crowell.
“I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” by Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell didn’t write “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool”, but the song is still autobiographical. On her Barbara Mandrell Live record, Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan wrote the song, based on Mandrell’s life.
“I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” says, “I remember wearing straight leg Levis, flannel shirts / Even when they weren’t in style / I remember singing with Roy Rogers at the movies / When the West was really wild / And I was listening to the Opry / When all of my friends were singing rock n’ roll and rhythm and blues / I was country when country wasn’t cool.’”
“I Wouldn’t Have Missed It For The World” by Ronnie Milsap
A song about looking back, “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It For The World” is on Ronnie Milsap’s There’s No Gettin’ Over Me record. Written by Fleming, Morgan, and Charles Quillen, it became a crossover hit for Milsap.
“I Wouldn’t Have Missed It For The World” says, “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world / Wouldn’t have missed loving you girl / You’ve made my whole life worthwhile, with your smile / I wouldn’t trade one memory / ‘Cause you mean too much to me / Even though I lost you girl / I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
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