Few country artists have had as much of an impact on the genre as Tanya Tucker. With a career that spans more than 50 years, these are four of the most important Tanya Tucker songs, ones that every country music fan needs to know.
“Delta Dawn”
Likely Tucker’s most noteworthy song, “Delta Dawn” is also her debut single. Released when Tucker was just 13 years old, “Delta Dawn” was written by Alex Harvey and Larry Collins.
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“Delta Dawn” is a unique song structure. It begins with the chorus, which says, “Delta Dawn, what’s that flower you have on / Could it be a faded rose from days gone by? / And did I hear you say he was a-meeting you here today / To take you to his mansion in the sky?‘
The same year that Tucker released “Delta Dawn”, Bette Midler also released the song. Midler’s version appears on her first record, The Divine Miss M.
“Strong Enough To Bend”
“Strong Enough To Bend” shows off Tucker’s soft side. The romantic tune was written by Beth Nielsen Chapman and Don Schlitz. Out in 1988, “Strong Enough To Bend” is the title track of a record Tucker also released that same year.
“Strong Enough To Bend” says, “For years we have stayed together / As lovers and as friends / What we have will last forever / If we’re strong enough to bend.”
“It’s A Little Too Late”
Tucker had a big hit with “It’s A Little Too Late”. “It’s A Little Too Late” came out in 1993. The feisty song is part of her Can’t Run From Yourself album. Pat Terry and Roger Murrah are the writers of the uptempo track.
“It’s A Little Too Late” says, “Turn the jukebox up, throw some sawdust down / I’m too far gone to turn this heart around / I may be wrong but I don’t walk out / Well, it’s a little too late to do the right thing now.”
“Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone)”
Tucker’s third consecutive No. 1 single is “Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone)” . The song is the title track of her third studio album. Written by David Allan Coe, “Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone)” is a song about questioning the strength of a relationship.
The song says in part, “Would you go away to another land / Walk a thousand miles through the burning sand / Wipe the blood away from my dying hands / If I give myself to you / Will you bathe with me / In the stream of life / When the moon is full / Will you bathe with me?”
Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings released a duet version of this song in 1983.
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