Romantic Songs- Favorite Country Music Love Songs

These are some of my favorite romantic Country Music love songs.  I consider this my Country Love, volume 1.  So many great songs, so little time, know what I mean?  Country Music is not my primary genre, but it was what my folks have always listened to.  I had no trouble coming up with 12 great romantic love songs.  I hope you enjoy them. 

Songs in this hub: 

When I Said I Do, Clint Black and Lisa Hartman

It’s Your Love, Tim and Faith

Amanda, Waylon Jennings

Carrying Your Love With Me, George Strait

Smokey Mt Rain, Ronnie Milsap

I Always Get Lucky With You, George Jones

Always on My Mind, Willie Nelson

Amazed, Lonestar

You’ve  Got a Way, Shania Twain

I Need You, LeAnn Rimes

She Believes in Me, Kenny Rogers

I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton

If Country Music totally isn’t your bag, wander over to my classic rock romantic music hub, Romantic Songs to Set the Mood- Some of My Favorite Love Songs. 

The beautifully romantic song, When I Said I Do, was written by Clint Black and performed by Black and his wife Lisa Hartman.  It was released on D’lectrified in 1999.  In 1991, Black married actress Lisa Hartman, who played a singer on Knot’s Landing.  The Blacks had a daughter in 2001, and Clint Black took 3 years off to enjoy being a dad. 

The vocals are impressive on this song.  Equally impressive are the lyrics, which include:  “When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time, be faithful and true, devoted to you.” 

It’s Your Love was written by Stephony Smith, and had previously been recorded, but did not gain recognition until it was recorded by Country Music couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on Tim’s Everywhere in 1997.  Most would agree that Tim and Faith, who married in 1996, are easy on the eyes. 

McGraw has spoken endearingly about his good fortune in marrying Faith, seemingly suggesting that he doesn’t deserve her.  He sings convincingly “If you asked me why I’ve changed, all I gotta do is say your sweet name.” 

Amanda was recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1979, and spent 3 weeks in the number one spot on the charts.  Prior to his popularity as a solo artist, Jennings played bass for Buddy Holly.  He married Jessi Colter in 1969, his fourth, but lasting marriage.  He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, and passed away in 2002. 

Amanda is a song about a rough man who clearly thinks he does not deserve the love of his woman. 

George Strait, a native Texan, released Carrying Your Love with Me in 1997 on the album of the same name.  The song was written by Jeff Stevens and Steve Bogard.  Strait gained national attention in country music starting in the early 80s. 

George Strait has almost 40 hit albums, including 15 multi-platinums, and over 40 number one singles.  He has garnered awards including Artist of the Decade, and has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

Ronnie Milsap was nearly blind from birth, and progressively lost his sight throughout his childhood.  He was raised by his grandmother and attended a school for the blind.  He showed talent with music, and was educated in music from an early age.  In the early 60s, his first professional music job was with J.J. Cale.  Ashford & Simpson recorded several of his songs. 

Milsap recorded his first of many hit singles in 1973.  Smokey Mountain Rain, recorded in 1983, secured his status in the Country Music world, and became a crossover hit. 

George Jones is known in Country Music as one of their greatest living legends.  He is known as “The Possum”, and also known as “No Show Jones” from his numerous cancelled shows during the peak of his drinking years.  I saw him with my mom in Branson MO and bought the tee shirt, “I saw No Show Jones”.  His second of 4 wives was Tammy Wynette.  They had a string of hits together, and performed together years after their divorce. 

I first heard I Always Get Lucky With You sung by Merle Haggard.  I like Haggard’s version, but something about Jones’ vocals on this song really appeals to me. 

Although a prolific songwriter, Willie Nelson did not write Always on my Mind.  It was written by Johnny Christopher, Wayne Carson Thompson and Mark James and published in 1972.  It was first recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972, and by Elvis the same year.  It has now been recorded over 300 times, including recordings by the Pet Shop Boys, B.B. King and Michael Bublé. 

Willie Nelson recorded Always on My Mind in 1982.  The song won 3 Grammys and numerous other awards for the songwriters and Nelson in 1982 and 1983. 

For soap opera fans, a bit of trivia:  The song was used repeatedly to chronicle the rocky times in the romance of Liz Chandler and Dr. Neil Curtis.  Gloria Loring, who played Liz was a singer with modest success.  Liz sang the song to Neil at their wedding. 

Amazed was released on Lonestar’s 1999 CD Lonely Grill, and was a crossover hit, spending 8 weeks at number one on the country charts, and then hitting number one on Billboard Hot 100.  This was the first time a group or artist had achieved dual number ones since 1983 when Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton topped both charts with Islands in the Stream. 

Amazed has great lyrics, like these lines:  “It feels like the first time every time.  I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes.”  What I like about this passage is the unexpected.  As they sing, you just know they’re going to sing “in your arms”, but they don’t. 

You’ve Got a Way was on Canadian, Shania Twain’s CD Come On Over.  It was co-written by Twain and her former husband, Mutt Lange.  Recorded in 1997, Come On Over was not released to North American Country radio until 1999.  The song was nominated for a Grammy, and was featured in the Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant romantic comedy Notting Hill. 

The song has great lyrics like “It’s in the way you want me.  It’s in the way you hold me.  The way you show me just what love’s made of.  It’s in the way we make love.” 

I wanted to include something by LeAnn Rimes because her voice caught my attention early in her career.  Her debut CD, Blue was released in 1996.  Rimes won a Grammy for the song as well as a Grammy for Best New Artist.  She was the youngest artist to win a Grammy and the first Country artist to win Best New Artist. 

Early on I felt her song choices were excellent.  Not sure who made the choices.  She was singing about adult love, long before she was an adult.  In interviews she has credited her father with explaining the songs and feelings invoked. 

She Believes in Me appeared on Kenny Rogers’ 1978 release, The Gambler.  The song became one of Rogers’ biggest crossover hits, ranking on the Billboard Country, Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. 

Kenny Rogers’ career began in the mid-50s.  He has won numerous awards, including American Music Awards, Grammys, Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards. 

I Will Always Love You was written by Dolly Parton, and released on her 1974 album Jolene.  According to Parton, she wrote the song to Porter Wagoner, at the time they were dissolving their business relationship.  Wagoner was not pleased that Dolly was leaving to pursue a solo career.  This is the “Dolly” version I’ve selected. 

Parton recorded I Will Always Love You again in 1982 for Best Little Whore House.  It then became the first time for a song to hit number one on the Billboard Country chart twice by the same artist.  It also found crossover success.  She recorded it a third time with Vince Gill in 1995.  It found modest success at number 15 on the Country charts. 

When Whitney Houston recorded it in 1992, and it was featured in the film with Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard, it became one of the best selling singles of all time.  I have also included Whitney’s “movie” version. 

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