Country Song if I Had to Do It All Over Again

Breaking up is hard to do.

Life has ups and downs. For some breakups are the down periods. When one person in the relationship isn't ready for things to be over it can be difficult. Breakups are hard for both parties no matter how things go down.

In the best situations breakups are good for both parties. Sometimes a relationship can be a rut for both people. It can be positive for both to move on and change their lives for the better.

No matter what the situation is in a specific breakup the emotion has likely been covered in a great country breakup song.

Here is a list of the best country breakup songs.

50. Little Goodbyes – SheDaisy

The sisters of SheDaisy first caught a break in the music biz early on in the late '80s. Their career never came to head back then and they later realized it was a blessing. In 1999, SheDaisy broke out with their debut country single Little Goodbyes. The song cracked the top three on the charts. The girls had something unique and they stood out at the time. The song Little Goodbyes had sass and attitude. It was about a woman leaving her man for good this time. She leaves her goodbyes all over the house in the form of unpaid bills, lipstick tubes, and CDs. It's a great song with great images.

49. Better Class of Losers – Randy Travis

When the guy or gal know it's no longer worth living the lies and pretending to be someone they're not it's time to move on. That's what the song Better Class of Losers is about. Randy Travis can sing the best country songs like no one else. This one is about a guy that's spending his time with the uptown woman. He's putting on the happy face for all her high class friends. He's leaving his friends – that she calls losers – behind and finally he realizes it's not who he is. He can't live the lie with her anymore and he's heading back to the people that care about him – the better class of losers.

48. She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles) – Gary Stewart & Wade Hayes

This is one of my favorite country songs. I like both versions of the song. Gary Stewarts was the bigger of the two hits. In fact I'm not even sure many others know the Wade Hayes version. He recorded it for a tribute album to the country classics. She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles) is about a guy whose woman is out and about on the town. She's flirting with all the guys and he knows eventually she's doing things behind her back. He's not man enough to break things off, but perhaps the relationship was over long before he even realized.

47. Settle for a Slowdown – Dierks Bentley

A woman is leaving Dierks Bentley. I'm not sure, but it seems women really love Dierks. In Settle For A Slowdown Dierks' woman leaves him for her career and a seemingly better live. She heads out the door and down the road. Dierks is left standing in the rain wanting to see just the tap of a brake light. He wants to know she at least has a second thought to what she's leaving behind as she breaks up with him. We never know if he sees that brake light, but chances are there is nothing. That's how breakups can happen – over in an instant with no looking back.

46. (If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here – Shania Twain

Shania Twain ruled the country world in the mid and late '90s. Her songs were so awesome and so unique she had everybody buying her music and attending her huge concert shows. A song that was as big of hit as any was (If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here. The song was an up tempo declaration for a woman that wanted to be taken seriously by a man. If he wasn't in it for her and all the love she had to offer she was gone. This relationship got over before it even really began. That take some courage for someone to look at a situation and know it's time to move on before things get too deep.

45. Good As Gone – Little Big Town

Nobody rocks the harmonies like Little Big Town. The group has been around for some years. Success has been here and gone and back again for the group. Something about their unique sound endears them to country fans though and Little Big Town will likely have a long country career. A hit for the band was the breakup song Good As Gone. It's a snappy little tune about a narrator that realizes things are over. In fact, both people in the relationship know things are over and they're as good as gone from each others lives. That's how it works out sometimes – it's over and there is really nothing more to say.

44. Take Your Memory With You – Vince Gill

Vince Gill became known for his sorrowful heartbreak songs in the '90s, but before that he had an up tempo break song called Take Your Memory. The song is about a guy whose woman is leaving him. She moving on and breaking up with him. Vince plays the narrator. He's a big heartbroken with this breakup. He realizes it's going to be difficult to forget about his former lover. He simply begs and pleads her to at least be kind enough to take her memory with her as she leaves. Sure it's not possible, but it would make a lot of these breakups much more easy.

43. Blame It On Your Heart – Patty Loveless

Patty Loveless was one of the biggest country stars in the '90s. Her hits went straight to the top nearly every time. One of those hits was Blame It On Your Heart – a passionate song with attitude that touched the nerves of all women that have been wronged in a relationship. Patty's song ripped into the lying, cheating guy she was with. He was no good anyway and the up tempo song kicked him right in the teeth. Patty had the sass and the confidence to take over country music in the '90s with songs like the breakup song Blame It On Your Heart.

42. White Liar – Miranda Lambert

Lies and deceit often play a part in breakups. Miranda Lambert crafted her own tale of lies and breakups. White Liar became a top two smash hit on the country charts in 2009 and 2010. The song turned a corner for Miranda. She had struggled to find legit hits on the charts until this one neared the top. It took the clever little breakup song to get Miranda nearly to the top. The cleverness of the song was the little twist at the end where the narrator reveals that it wasn't just her guy that was lying…she was lying a little too. Clever and fun all in the midst of a breakup. Genius.

41. Please Remember Me – Tim McGraw

In 1999, Tim McGraw took a risk when he released Please Remember Me. The song was difficult to sing for anybody. It was a slower song and those are always kind of tricky. Everybody has a sad song and they're difficult to succeed with unless they're absolutely top notch. The song was a success though. It became a smash number one hit on the country charts and further established Tim as one of country greatest artists. The song is about a man and woman moving on to their next phases in life. They were together, but are now apart where the man can't hurt her anymore in the perceived emotional sense. It's a moving song. The guy wants to be remembered for the good things about him and not only the bad. It's something we all can feel after a breakup.

40. Love You – Jack Ingram

I'm not really sure if the intention of this song is a breakup, but that's the way I interpret it. Jack Ingram had a hit on his hands when Love You crashed on the charts and turned a certain four letter word into a tongue-in-cheek song. It's about a guy that's getting fed up with all the BS his woman is putting him through. He's done with the fighting, the talking, and even messing around with her cat. I know I've felt this emotion before in the past. Sometimes you just want to get out.

39. My Give A Damn's Busted – Jo Dee Messina

I love this song. It became yet another number one hit for the sassy Jo Dee Messina. The song was actually co-written by another country star Joe Diffie, but it worked perfectly for Jo Dee. The song sees the narrator – the woman in this instance – realizing that things aren't going to work out with her man. He's not right for her and no matter how much of a fight he puts up over the breakup she really doesn't care at all anymore. The attitude and the sass in the song are really what make it a great country breakup song.

38. I Can't Do That Anymore – Faith Hill

I love this song from Faith Hill. It's about a woman that is doing all she can to support her husband. Now that he's successful she's happy for him, but she can't help feeling a little sorry for herself. What about her dreams? What about the life she wanted to lead? She gave it all up to support her man and things worked out, but was it enough? It's the kind of feeling that can lead to a breakup. The song was actually written by Alan Jackson and it's hard not to think the song is autobiographical for him. I don't know for sure, but I'm glad we have the song to listen to. It's great.

37. Big Deal – LeAnn Rimes

This is one of my favorite LeAnn Rimes songs. She plays the narrator that lets a good guy get away. Now she knows the woman he's ended up with and she's a little jealous, but she won't admit it. She sees them having fun and all the romance he's giving his new woman. She tries to get over it though and says it's no big deal. So what if they're having fun. She'll find her own fun. Even when we seemingly make a bad decision or two in life there is no reason to worry. Things can work out eventually. Here the bad decision may have been a breakup. Time always tells.

36. Brokenheartsville – Joe Nichols

Joe Nichols cracked through with this number one hit early on in his career. The song became an anthem of sorts for guys that had their woman cheat on them with some loser. The narrator in the song headed to the bar to be amongst friends and to enjoy his own Brokenheartsville. When we're wronged in life and in a relationship especially it's good to know that it may not be all bad. Go and be amongst friends and family and know that you can still enjoy life even after a breakup.

35. Watch Me – Lorrie Morgan

Lorrie Morgan knows how to sing a country song. It always seemed like the emotion she put in all her songs came from somewhere deeply embedded in her own life. This song is about a woman that finally realizes she's been treated wrong by her man. She decides the jig is up and she's walking away. Even as she's packing up the guy doesn't believe her. Well he'd better believe when he sees her finally walking out the door and out of his life forever. There is no time to waste on someone that doesn't care.

34. Can't Break It To My Heart – Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence is one of my favorite artists. He's got the traditional country sound and his songs are always melodic with good stories to tell. This song is about a guy that's realizing things are over. He describes the flame of love and how it's gone out yet there is still the glowing ember in his heart that wants to get things back to the way they were. Moving on is one of the difficult things to do after a breakup. It takes time for a relationship to grow so it makes sense for it to take some time to move on after it's over.

33. I'm Movin' On – Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts was on the verge of reaching superstar status back with their first album. The guys and their label decided to release a fourth single from the successful album and it turned out to be a great call. I'm Movin' On reached the top five and further established the group as a popular and talented band. The song has some ambiguous lyrics leaving it open for interpretation, but something you can pull from the story is that a guy has broken off with his past life (a relationship?) and is now moving on to the next phase.

32. Someone Else Calling You Baby – Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan is emerging as a country star. Luke has become one of the best at telling great stories from the perspective of his Georgia roots. With this song Luke captures the emotion of a guy that thought he had something new and special going on with a girl. They hung out a few times and he thought things were going somewhere. He thought that until one day when he saw the girl out with another guy hanging around town. His world was crushed and the relationship was broken up before it had even got started.

31. She Thinks I Still Care – George Jones

George Jones is the star of country music. He's my favorite artist of all time and it seems he's covered every emotion possible with his songs. Here we have a song of heartbreak and denial. A guy has lost the love of his life. He's trying to convince himself that he doesn't care anymore. He asks his ex's friends about her. He calls her number…by mistake…and accidentally mentions her name that is no reason to believe he still cares about her. When there is a breakup we all have our own ways to get over someone. It's hard letting go sometimes.

30. Someone You Used To Know – Collin Raye

I was listening to the local country radio station a few years ago when the DJ came on and played a Collin Raye song. Collin had just played at a local festival that summer and the DJ said he had attended the show and was amazed at just how many hits he recognized from the singer. Back in the '90s Collin Raye did have a bunch of hits especially ballads. One of those songs Someone You Used To Know is a heart breaking song about a guy coming off a breakup. She's moved on with someone new and he's trying to move on. That can be the most difficult part…being the 2nd one to find someone new.

29. That Just About Does It – Vern Gosdin

Vern Gosdin was a huge, influential voice in country music. His roaring yet subtle song singing was powerful and it packed an emotional punch that country fans loved. His traditional style came through best on songs like That Just About Does It. The song is about a couple that's been together for a while. They have lived together for a long time. He's done his best in the past to keep things together by making promises. She's tried to find the courage to stay, but now they both realize it won't work out. Have you ever been in a situation like that? Mutual agreement on breaking up?

28. Leave The Pieces – The Wreckers

The Wreckers came on the country scene strong just a few years ago. The duo of sassy and talented woman rocked the country world with their debut song Leave The Pieces. The sound was unique and the ability of the girls to sing and play a country song was evident. The girls sang their song about a breakup where the girl was being left behind. The guy was moving on and heading for a new life. He had broken the woman apart, but she'll be able to put pieces of her life back together.

27. Better Man Better Off – Tracy Lawrence

It's not often a guy gets things right in the relationship. Here we have one of my personal favorite artists Tracy Lawrence singing a great country song about breakup. The guy in the song realizes his girl doesn't love him the way he cares about her. He can see it. He can feel it. He knows the breakup is the best thing for the both of them. It's going to hurt him and probably hurt for a while, but he knows in the long run he'll be better off and a better man. That takes some guts and some real understanding.

26. I Breathe In, I Breathe Out – Chris Cagle

Chris Cagle wasn't the best country singer during his run of success on the charts in the '00s. He had his rocking breed of country, but he slowed things down and captured the hearts of Cagle Heads with his emotion and passion. The song that shot him to stardom was I Breathe In, I Breathe Out. It caught the ears of nearly all country fans during its release and became a huge hit. It's about a guy struggling to get by now that he's apart from his love. He does a little each day to get by and keep moving forward. Sometimes that's all we can do. Improve a little with each breath.

25. Almost A Memory Now – Blackhawk

Blackhawk is one of my favorite bands of all time. Their songs in the '90s changed the way I thought about country music. The melodies and harmonies these guys created were the best in the business. They aren't often recognized as one of the best country bands of all time, but listen to their greatest hits and you'll realize. Almost A Memory Now is one of their songs that captures you. Even if you're hearing it for the first time you'll be singing along by the end. It's about a guy that's seeing his woman leave. Even though she's not even gone he realizes she's almost a memory. He can see the breakup happening right before his eyes and he can't do anything to stop it.

24. She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft) – Jerry Reed

Before I got to really know country music my Dad showed me the movie Smokey and the Bandit. The movie had cool guys running from the cops. Fast cars and getting away from the cops…there's nothing better. I only later learned that co-star in the movie and truck driving Jerry Reed was a country star including the great country hit She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft). The song is a classic. It's not the sorrow song more than an almost ridiculous laugh at your own situation song. The guy is stuck at home eating bologna wondering how he can owe more in support and alimony than he makes in a month. It can be typical for those guys in the breakup and divorce situations.

23. Good As I Was To You – Lorrie Morgan

Have you ever caught the one you loved red handed with someone else? Lorrie Morgan sang Good As I Was To You about just that situation, but the woman in the song didn't get angry…she was more disappointed in what had happened to her. How could a guy do this to her after the way she treated him? Was there really someone else out there better than her? These are the kinds of questions people ask when they feel they've been wronged in breakup situations. The mood was captured perfectly in this song from the great Lorrie Morgan.

22. It's A Little Too Late – Tanya Tucker

This song from the great Tanya Tucker is not a breakup song in the traditional sense. This was is kind of foreboding as the narrator is getting involved with a guy despite everything everyone in her life is telling her. They say he's a bad guy and will break her heart. He's done it before with lots of others and she's next in line. Can it be the recipe for disaster or will she be the one to change his ways? From my experience the odds are good for a breakup in the future.

21. She Used To Be Mine – Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn were originally known for their rocking country songs. They kicked some butt with their attitude and swagger, but what really cemented the guys as superstars was their ability to write and sing ballads. The guys captured heartbreak and sorrow in their songs as well. She Used To Be Mine is one of those songs. It's about a guy that's wronged his woman in the past. It doesn't matter if the wronging was cheating, not putting in the effort, or anything else the fact is he wronged her and she moved on. He had no idea what was wrong until it was all gone.

20. Smoke Rings In The Dark – Gary Allan

Gary Allan broke out with this hit a few years back. The songs was unique at the time. There was an emotion and sound Gary captured on record that nobody else had. It's a song about a guy that had tried to make a woman love him as much as he loved her. It didn't work out and their flame of love burned out and turned to smokes rings in the dark. The album for Gary sold a ton and Gary became one of the biggest stars of the '00s in country music. He's a great singer with a unique niche in country music and his biggest run of success came with this country breakup song.

19. Nothin' But the Taillights – Clint Black

Clint Black is one of the greatest songwriters in country music history. His songs often have a wit and humor that make for great country tunes unlike most others on the charts. With this one Clint dug into the area of breakups. The songs finds the narrator on the side of the road after being left by his lover. She burns rubber and spins some gravel on the road to get away from him. It's an upbeat song with plenty of lyrics that make you smile even though after things are over you're wondering what's gonna happen to that guy sitting there on the side of the road seeing nothing but the taillights of his past relationship.

18. Two Pink Lines – Eric Church

This isn't the traditional breakup song you probably think about, but it's one of my favorites and I had to include it on the list. Eric Church released this song as his second single. It gained attention as people wondered if this was really a song about a pregnancy test. For the young lovers enjoying life and having fun there is nothing that could be more frightening than thinking there might be a chance of a little bundle of joy in your near future. When things come back negative the two go their separate ways immediately and never look back. It's a big sigh of relief and a breakup that's amicable.

17. We Both Walk – Lorrie Morgan

I realize now that Lorrie Morgan dominates this list of country breakup songs. It's easy to forget how many great songs she has had in her career to this point and I'm sure we'll be surprised at some point when she comes back with yet another huge hit. This song is a bit upbeat. It has the classic music of great country. Lorrie's signature vocals are there. The guy is trying to come back to his woman after being an idiot once again. Finally the woman tells him to walk right back where he came from. It's time for him to walk away and for her to walk alone. They both walk to their new lives without each other.

16. A Little Too Late – Toby Keith

Toby Keith is a master songwriter. He proved many folks wrong by coming up with clever, well written country songs that people love. With this song Toby touched again on the feelings of lovers that are breaking up. Here we have the narrator, in this case a guy, breaking up with his girl. He tells her he's sick of everything and it's a little too late to save their relationship. He's over her and he's ready to move on for good. There is nothing either of them can do to salvage things. It's a little too late.

15. You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone – Brooks & Dunn

This was a classic breakup song from Brooks & Dunn. Everyone that's been wronged in a relationship or even been the one on the receiving end of a breakup has probably felt this way. You may think you're making the right decision, but over time you're going to come to realize I was the best thing you ever had. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone. It's a great song. It captures the feeling, the emotion of the moment it discusses. I already miss B&D and they've only bee apart for a short while. They made some great music.

14. Fast Movin' Train – Restless Heart

This song may be a bit of a wild card on this list, but I had to include it and I had to put it in the top 15. The song has this amazing sound. It's the kind of sound that defines the way music sounded in the late '80s – both country and pop. Restless heart had such unique sounds during their run of hits. Their fanbase crossed musical genres. The song is about a guy that falls for a one night stand. She wants nothing to do with him beyond their one night together. It's not really a breakup, but even after one night there are similar feelings. It's not the most well known Restless Heart song, but it's probably my favorite of theirs for the sound alone.

13. I Wonder Do You Think Of Me – Keith Whitley

Sometimes there are the artists you wish could have kept their run of hits going forever. In the mid '80 Keith Whitley finally broke through as a country superstar. Then, all of a sudden, at the peak of his success Keith succumb to alcohol poisoning and passed. Country music fans were left with a saddened heart and a collection of great country songs. I Wonder Do You Think of Me was released shortly after Whitley's untimely death. The song became a number one hit. It's about a high school love that went distant through the years. Now the guy wonders if his old flame still thinks of him even after their breakup. The music. The lyrics. This is one of my personal favorite country songs of all time.

12. Wish I Didn't Know Now – Toby Keith

Toby Keith showed up on Nashville's doorstep back in the early '90s with a cassette of songs he thought were hits. The story goes he was turned down by every label and one of the execs even told me he had no chance of becoming a songwriter. Perhaps a singer, but not a songwriter. A little while later Toby recorded his first album and one of the songs from that original cassette – Wish I Didn't Know Now – became a number two hit on the charts. The song has an incredibly catchy chorus. It's about a poor guy that wanted to love his woman even though he knew she was running around. He didn't want to know the truth, but now that he knows he finally has to move on. It's hard to imagine this caliber of song was ridiculed by anyone with interest in country music.

11. Goin' Through The Big D – Mark Chesnutt

This rousing track from traditionalist Mark Chesnutt raced up the charts back in the '90s. It's an uptempo song about the divorce. It's not the song you'd expect to hear when it comes to breakup up, but it somehow works. I guess it's alright to take a light hearted approach to breakups. After a time if things get drawn out in a breakup it can get a bit comical I suppose especially when it comes to breakup the possessions you and your former love had. Usually the gal will get the palace while the guy is left with a simple trinket. At least the sense of humor is there.

10. I Can't Reach Her Anymore – Sammy Kershaw

Here we have a guy that can't really get over his breakup with his former lover. He calls her to talk. She talks a bit, but anytime he starts talking about getting back together she lets the conversation go cold. It seems like she knows things need to move on and he can't get past that fact at all. It's tough when there's a breakup. Not always will both parties be ready. Sammy Kershaw did a great job with this song as he does with all of his songs. It's a great, emotional breakup song.

9. What Mattered Most – Ty Herndon

I love this song. It shot the newcomer Ty Herndon straight to number one with his very first single. He later would look back on the time in his life and recall that he had barely gotten to Nashville to record and the next thing he knew he had a top hit on the charts. The reason the song connected so fast with so many people was how well it was written. The song is about a guy that has lost his woman. He knew everything about her, but he didn't listen to the dreams she had. He went on living the life he wanted and ignored her dreams. She eventually left and he found himself all alone.

8. Let Me Let Go – Faith Hill & Vince Gill

I love Faith Hill. She's beautiful and she has a voice like an angel. Her music in the '90s and into the '00s was great. She seemed to top the charts just about every time with her songs. Back in the early days she had one song that still remains a favorite of mine. With Vince Gill on background vocals Faith nailed this breakup song. It's about a woman that can't let go of her former lover. He seems to have moved on. She wants to let go, but she just can't. It's a great track that captures a strong emotion. Adding Vince Gill who was at the top of his game at the time was awesome. He's still joining newcomers on tracks even today. Two greats making a classic country song.

7. Five Minutes – Lorrie Morgan

Here we have the wonderful Lorrie Morgan again with perhaps her signature song. More than even the great breakup lyrics of the song I love the melody and the passion Lorrie put into the lyrics. You can feel how she felt when she was telling her man that he was on his last chance. Just five minutes to try and convince her not to leave. It's easy to feel the authenticity in this song. Lorrie has been married and divorced numerous times in her life. She's a great country artist and this was one of her biggest hits.

6. What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am – Lee Roy Parnell

Lee Roy Parnell is great. He had a few big hits back in the '90s and he's still going strong on the touring route each year today. This was probably his most well known song. It's about a guy that has been burned by his former love. Now he sees her trying to come back into his life. He knows it's a fool's game to get back with her though. Does she really think he's going to let her back in? The classic breakup dilemma.

5. Can't Be Really Gone – Tim McGraw

This song came out fairly early in Tim McGraw's career. It's one of my favorites of his. I like the sound of the song. It's got a cool groove even if it's mellow and a bit sad. A guy notices that his woman is gone, but he notices she left some things she really cared about. He's trying to convince himself this is the sign that she's going to come back. As a listener you know better. She's not coming back. It's sad to see him trying  to convince himself knowing it's a lost cause. Did she breakup with him? Did she die? Maybe that's too harsh, but it's possible. A great song.

4. Famous Last Words of a Fool – George Strait

George Strait has covered just about every emotion a person can feel and his songs have stood the test of time on top of that. This song is still one of my favorites of George's. It's got a great melody and the emotion is common for those in a breakup. The guy tries to be tough and tell his former lover that he's not going to feel anything for her once she's gone. As soon as she leaves he knows he's probably made a mistake. He knows he's a fool for telling her that he wouldn't care. The famous last words.

3. Sticks and Stones – Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence is one of my favorite artists. He hasn't had as much luck on the charts of late, but in the '90s he was near the top of the singles and albums charts with regularity. Tracy's first hit way back in 1991 was this single and it went all the way up to the top spot on the charts that year. A woman is breaking up with the guy in the song. He doesn't really care if she takes all the material things, the sticks and stones that made their home. That isn't what's breaking his heart. What really hurts him are the words she's using to tell him that it's over for good. It's tough handling this breakup. A great traditional country song from the '90s.

2. Learning To Live Again – Garth Brooks

This is my favorite Garth Brooks songs. It's not well remembered it doesn't seem…at least in the mainstream. The song actually rose to the #2 spot on the charts during its run. The song is about a guy going out on a date with a new woman his friend set him up with. He's trying to move on with his life by heading out on this date. It seems he's having a hard time trying to live again and start a new life. I'm not sure if he lost the woman he was previously with by perhaps a death or maybe a breakup. Either way I think this song captures such an important aspect of a lost relationship I had to include it.

1. Give It Away – George Strait

When this song came out it was so different from any song I had heard before. The song is about a guy and gal breaking up. They're dividing up their things. The woman has had it with the entire situation. She wants no reminders of the relationship at all. She tells the guy to get rid of it all. He tries, but he can't get over her and thus keeps all the stuff for the memories. Performed by George Strait, the song was co-written by Jamey Johnson and it eventually won awards for Song of the Year. A great track and a great breakup song.

fletchersimpal.blogspot.com

Source: https://countrymusiclife.com/breakup-songs/

Share this post