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He Stopped Loving Her Today (George Jones)

Written by R. V. Braddock and C. Putman,Jr.

He said I'll love you 'til I die
She told him you'll forget in time
As the years went slowly by
She still preyed upon his mind

He kept her picture on his wall
Went half crazy now and then
He still loved her through it all
Hoping she'd come back again

Kept some letters by his bed
Dated 1962
He had underlined in red
Every single I love you

I went to see him just today
Oh but I didn't see no tears
All dressed up to go away
First time I'd seen him smile in years

(Chorus)
He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
And soon they'll carry him away
He stopped loving her today

(Spoken)
You know she came to see him one last time
Oh and we all wondered if she would
And it kept running through my mind
This time he's over her for good

(Repeat Chorus)

Hi All
I'm learning this song and as I study the lyrics and the song, it appears as if the reason he stopped loving her is because he died, right? OK, why does he say "First time I'd seen him smile in years". Do you smile when you're dead? I don't think so. Does a wreath upon the door mean someone in the home has passed away and that's why soon they'll carry him away? I think it's really the smile thing that's strange.

By the way, this is the NUMBER ONE country song on this list of top 500. Check it out.
http://countrymusic.about.com/library/top500/bltop500i.htm. (The 1st thing at the upper left is the top 500) What does anyone think? It IS a beautiful sad love song.

Herbie

[This message has been edited by Herbie Gaines (edited 08-16-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Herbie Gaines (edited 08-16-2005).]

Nice to see you, Herbie!

You might try posting this on the lyric boards...the folks on those lyric boards don't always visit these...although, they should !

Good luck with the lyric...

Emily
emilysanders.net

Hi Emily-
This is one of the most famous country songs of all time (I think). I'm sure people right here at the General Board will give me their take quite easily.

By the way congrats on your Betty Boop Gig. I'm sure you'll be great.

Herbie

You've got to keep in mind when this song was written things were done a little differently as far as viewing of the body, wreaths, etc. This song is the classic country song and in my opinion is the best written country song of all time. Bobby Braddock did a killer job of evoking emotion with simplistic writing. It has been voted #1 country song many times through the years.

Hi Herbie,
Yep, love the song Deserves it's No 1 rating. Yeah, the wreath on the door often meant someone had passed away. As to the smile--someone may be able to answer better than I can, but this is the way I always understood it---Some undertakers can do wonders and I don't think it would be that difficult to make him appear to be smiling.
IMO nobody will ever be able to sing the song like George. If there was ever a perfect match of singer to song, that was it. I've also heard that George didn't even want to cut it---"Too,sad. Too much a downer, it'll never fly" , but they talked him into it.
May be other opinions on the whole thing, but that's my take on it
Wy

Hi Herbie,
I understand George Jones didn't even like the song the first time he heard it but finally recorded it. Now they didn't ask me to vote on the greatest country song of all time. I can think of so many that would have been on my list before this one. In fact George done other songs I would have put ahead of this one. This vote was done, I believe by CMT as for who knows what, publicity I guess. Three songs from the past that each held the Number One Position on the Radio for 21 weeks could qualify as the Number One Country song of all time but everyone can make up their own list and it would be just as valid. The three songs are, I'M MOVING ON, by Hank Snow, IN THE JAIL HOUSE NOW, by Webb Pierce, and a song by Eddy Arnold, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO KNOW, I think. No other songs have ever done that.
For one whole year Webb Pierce, except for one other Artist, held the number one spot on the radio. No other Artist has ever done that. There was no rhyme or reason to CMT'S list. Too many great songs from the past to even mention that wasen't on the list.

Undertakers used to put a smile on the body. A black wreath used to be put on the deceased's door, and, yes, he stopped loving her because he's dead. The first line gave it all away.

I can still remember hearing this song for the first time. It stunned me. I was on my way to Florida with the Suzi Devereaux band, sitting in the back of the station wagon. Station wagons are what we had before we had SUV's. As soon as we got to a mall, I bought the tape to listen to it again. Tapes are what we dinosaurs used to have to listen to music.

I still think that first line, followed soon by the first line of the chorus, is the most elegant set up for a hook in the history of country music...maybe in all of music.

"He said, 'I'll love you 'til I die'"
"He stopped loving her today."

Wow.

All the Best,
Mike


p.s.
Sometime in the last ten years or so, Billboard magazine named "Just Walk On By" sung by my boss Leroy Van Dyke as the number one country song of all time. Ray's right, it all depends on whom is making the list.
------------------
You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

[This message has been edited too many times by Mike Dunbar (edited 08-16-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Mike Dunbar (edited 08-16-2005).]

Like Mike said, yes the bodies would often be smiling. Of course, rigor mortis can do that, too. So the answer is, yes, he stopped loving her because he's dead.

That song sure brings back memories. *Sigh*

Hi Marvin
Yes, things were WAY different back then
Hi Wyman
Yes, I love it to! I'm just discovering alot of old country songs due to finding a club up here in Chicago called the Hideout. There is a bartender/singer named Kelly Hogan and she partners with a great guitar/keyboard player named Scott Ligon. My friend turned me on to them and I love those songs they do. They combine old country songs with old jazz tunes in their set. I grew up more into rock n roll and jazz. I just got an Ipod that holds 5000 songs. I've been getting great music from the library and putting it in there, I'm having so much fun with it. I just got the best of Kitty Wells-- She's awesome.
Hi Ray
I have heard that story also that you and Wyman shared. Funny, you just never know what'll be a hit, huh? How do those idiots think they know a hit after a 30 second listen to a tune? I got Eddy Arnold too, at the library and I like the song you mentioned. I can even yodel, should I learn Cattle call? LOL
Hi Mike Dunbarasaurus
I was just showing my stepson my cassette collection (worthless now) Man, what WE had to do to get music. I showed him how i had to add up the time of the record, then squeeze in a few extra songs to not waste tape! Then I actually wrote the names of all the songs on the tape. He said "that must've sucked". Was that a compliment to my perseverence to get the music I loved?
Hi Wordsmith
I don't think I want to be smiling in my casket. My wife will be suspicious.

Thanks for your comments everybody

Herbie

Yes, the corpse has the smile. "First time I'd seen him smile in years." What a line.

I do not recall George Jones saying he didn't like the song. I recall that he said that he immediately liked it but "thought it was too damn sad, people won't buy it."

Bobby Braddock and Curly Putnam wrote it.

In an interview with Music Row Magazine Bobby spoke of that song, “I still feel like I’ve written better songs, and so has Curly Putman. I honestly think it was just a great recording. Curly says I brought in the idea, but we worked on it, and we thought of it as a dark comedy, really. Two years later when Billy Sherrill recorded it on George Jones, he had us add a verse on to it, and we wrote I don’t know how many till we got one he liked. It was a long process.”

Braddock is one of my favorite writers. Here's why.

Catalog Highlights:

D-I-V-O-R-C-E Co-writer: Curly Putman Artists: Tammy Wynette (1968), Billy Connolly (1975)
Did You Ever Artists: Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery (1971), Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood (1971)
Golden Ring Co-writer: Rafe Van Hoy Artists: George Jones and Tammy Wynette (1976)
Her Name Is... Artists: George Jones (1976)
Thinkin' of a Rendezvous Co-writer: Sonny Throckmorton Artists: Johnny Duncan (1976)
Womanhood Artists: Tammy Wynette (1978)
He Stopped Loving Her Today Co-writer: Curly Putman Artists: George Jones (1980), Johnny Russell
Hard Times Artists: Lacy J. Dalton (1980)
I Feel Like Loving You Again Co-writer: Sonny Throckmorton Artists: T.G. Sheppard (1980)
Would You Catch a Falling Star Artists: Jon Anderson (1982)
Faking Love Co-writer: Matraca Berg Artists: T.G. Sheppard and Karen Brooks (1982)
Old Flames Have New Names Co-writer: Rafe Van Hoy Artists: Mark Chesnutt (1992)
They Call It Making Love Artists: Tammy Wynette (1979)
Fadin' In, Fadin' Out Co-writer: Sonny Throckmorton Artists: Tommy Overstreet (1978)
Something to Brag About Artists: Mary Kay Place with Willie Nelson (1978)
Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half As Bad as Losing You) Artists: George Jones (1973)
I Believe the South Is Gonna Rise Again Artists: Tanya Tucker (1975)
I Wanna Talk About Me Artist: Toby Keith (2001)
Come On In Artists: Jerry Lee Lewis (1978)
Ruthless Artists: Statler Brothers (1967)
Country Music Lover Co-writer: Sonny Throckmorton Artists: "Little" Jimmy Dickens (1967)
Peanuts and Diamonds Artists: Bill Anderson (1976)
Texas Tornado Artists: Tracy Lawrence (1995)
Time Marches On Artists: Tracy Lawrence (1996)

How's this for a play on words? "You Can't Have Your Kate and Edith Too." (Braddock)

[This message has been edited by DukeWill (edited 08-16-2005).]

Hi Duke

WOW- I'm learning more here than I imagined! This guy is an amazing writer. I LOVE I wanna talk about me, I think it's Toby's best song. Thanks

Herbie

Hi again, Herbie,

Thanks for your kind words...and yes...you are right...this thread is also great here on the General message board

Emily

I don't even like Toby Keith but first time I heard that song, I said "That's a #1 record!" And then I found out Bobby Braddock wrote it. He's got the gift.

I have heard of people dying with a smile on their face,maybe they catch a glimpse of heaven or Jesus.

Everett

When writing songs about death or dying they can be difficult to write so someone will want to record them.

When Hank Williams wrote these type of songs the Record Label heads were mortified at putting out these type songs so they were put out under LUKE THE DRIFTER.

HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY is a pretty good example of how such a song can be written.

Some other songs that were sucessful in a simular vein were KNOXVILLE GIRL, recorded by the Wilburn Brother and the Louvin Brothers. George recorded another song, OPEN PIT MINE of which is a bit more morbid but done very well. MILLER'S CAVE by Hank Snow, EL PASO, RUNNING GUN, BIG IRON, and and THEY'RE HANGING ME TONIGHT by Marty Robbins were some other songs about death that were pulled off very well. TOM DOOLEY is another such song. Try getting those type songs on the radio today.

I think part of the mystique of this song comes from Jones' relationship with Tammy Wynette.
They were married, and she divorced him because of his drinking. But they still toured together, which everyone knew was one of the reasons his drinking/drug use got out of control.
Then when he was getting sober, he came out with this song, which is general enough that I think a lot of fans thought he was talking about her.

hmmm evidently yall city folk cant read too good.{ i went to see him just today} its a friend of his who is narrating the song. { we all wondered if he would}

Another death song, one I really like, (The long black vail) Do you know who wrote it? .

Emmy

Marijohn Wilkin, Danny Dill.

long black veil is a great song i saw emmylou harris and dave matthews perform it --it was great i recorded it myself

I actually know Bobby. After they demo'd the song he didn't think it was anything special and still wouldn't if Possum hadn't sung it. His words. as far as the first time I seen him smile in years. it was just a cool line. Curly lives around the corner from me. Never have spoken to him about the song. Probably won't get the chance last I heard he was in bad shape.

I met Curly through my former job and I can say after 11 years of experience I never saw a body smiling. And there where plenty of bodies in that time. Guess it's possible

I'm envious Scott. I have been sending Bobby songs for awhile and have emailed with him several times, but have not met the man yet. It's on my list of things to accomplish. Also I was on the fire department rescue for many years, and in all the wrecks we worked and bodies recovered, I have never see one with a smile, but like Scott said.....I guess it's possible.

On the smile thing--It may have been before your--our time but from what I understand in a previous time undertakers often put a smile on the deceased's face. Supposed to make the family feel better or something like that.
Wy

I think the lyric implies that the guy, as he was taking his last breath, was happy that his pain was finally over, so he smiled as he passed over.

That corpses don't normally smile is exactly the point. In most cases death is an unpleasant thing. But for this guy, it was blessed relief.

This lyric is flawless.

Marijon Wilkins and Danny Dill wrote "the Long Black Veil." I had the pleasure of doing some work for Miss Marijon back in the eighties, she also wrote the gospel classic, "One Day at a Time" made famous by Christy Lane.

Razzy Bailey has "Long Black Veil" currently out on his cd "Razzy Unwrapped" available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/razzy His version is a duet with Johnny Cash. If you ever see their video of it on GAC, look real fast and you'll see me sitting on a bench near the scene of the crime.

The way I heard it, Danny Dill brought Marijon the song, but he had the music in a minor key like a folky ghost song. Marijon put the country ballad music to it and they had a classic.

All the Best,
Mike

------------------
You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music

[This message has been edited by Mike Dunbar (edited 08-26-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Mike Dunbar (edited 08-26-2005).]

(Quote) This lyric is flawless.
I'll buy that Truman. Look how much info they packed into the first V and every other V Just shows you don't need 300 words to tell a story. Just the "right" words.
Yep, Mike--Long Black Veil is one of my other favorite songs. To have "any" part at all in it is definitely a feather in the cap IMO nobody could sing it like Johhny, just like nobody could sing "He Stopped Loving Her Today' like George
Wy



[This message has been edited by Wyman Lloyd (edited 08-26-2005).]

Lifty Frizzell of course had the Hit on LONG BLACK VEIL.
Another song George recorded was LIFE TO GO.
Curley Putnam also wrote or was part of GREEN, GREEN, GRASS OF HOME. Recorded by Porter Wagoner as well as others. I do have a song Entitled; AND KILL THIS BOTTLE. That's as close as I will probably come to a "Death Song".

I don't care for the Frizzell version of LBV. It lacks the sense of tragedy. Lefty sings it like you would sing a song about a rodeo.

I love The Band's version. Rick Danko's vocal grips me. He sounds like a guy singing from the grave, while the night winds wail.

I think this was aimed at me. Ummm, no kidding. I meant a lot of people thought he was performing this song because of Tammy Wynette -- I'll never be happy as long as I live because Tammy left me.

Actually it took them a long time to record this song, and one reason was Jones could sing when he was drunk -- as he was most of the time then -- but slurred his words so badly when he talked that he couldn't get the narration right.

the only time the woman came back to see him after they broke up was to come to his funeral his friends all wondered if she would show up

Long Black Veil---Yeah, I think Lefty had it first, I still prefer Johhny's version. Not familiar with the version by Rick Danko
Wy

[This message has been edited by Wyman Lloyd (edited 08-27-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Wyman Lloyd (edited 08-27-2005).]

Right. But I was talking about Jones PERFORMING the song and the mystique that grew up around that, not about the content of the song itself. Lots of folks were trying to read between the lines.
Hope you missed the hurricane.

Music From Big Pink by The Band. One of the best albums ever recorded.




[This message has been edited by TrumanCoyote (edited 08-27-2005).]