Forever and Ever, Amen

"Forever and Ever, Amen" is a song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released in March 1987 as the first single from the album Always & Forever and became Travis's third No. 1 single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles charts.[1]

This article is about the Randy Travis single. For The Drums song, see The Drums (album).
"Forever and Ever, Amen"
Single cover
Single by Randy Travis
from the album Always & Forever
B-side"Promises"
ReleasedMarch 1987
RecordedJanuary 1987
GenreCountry, country rock, country pop
Length3:31
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville 28384
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Kyle Lehning
Randy Travis singles chronology
"No Place Like Home"
(1987)		 "Forever and Ever, Amen"
(1987)		 "I Won't Need You Anymore (Always and Forever)"
(1987)

Background

"Forever and Ever, Amen" was penned by songwriters Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, both Nashville luminaries with a long pedigree of domestic country hits, including songs by Alabama, Keith Whitley, Kenny Rogers, and the Judds in the 1980s. The idea for the song's title stemmed from Schlitz's son, who, after saying his nightly prayers, would often remark to his mother, "Mommy, I love you forever and ever, amen." Schlitz relayed the sentimental message to Overstreet, and the two wrote the song in a couple of hours. They recorded the demo version of the song the next day, and pitched it to Warner Bros. executive Martha Sharp. Sharp suggested the material best for Travis, for whom Overstreet had previously written "On the Other Hand".

Travis was fond of the song immediately, and abridged its message for the title of his second album: Always and Forever.

Reception

The single was first released in March 1987. It debuted on Billboard's country charts on April 25, 1987. The song peaked at number one for three weeks on June 13, 1987, the first single to do so on the country charts since Johnny Lee's "Lookin' for Love" seven years prior.

"Forever and Ever, Amen" was heavily lauded in the country community, as well as on a mainstream level. It won a Grammy for Best Country & Western Song at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards in 1988. It also claimed Song of the Year honors from the Academy of Country Music[2] and the Country Music Association. Nearly three decades past its release, it was certified Gold by the RIAA,[3] making it Travis' first solo single to earn an RIAA certification. Its digital sales were last estimated at over 966,000 downloads in 2016.[4]

Charts
Chart (1987) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks 10
UK Singles Chart 55

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[3] Gold 966,000 (digital)[4]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

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References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 351.
  2. ACMs - Previous Winners - Song of the Year
  3. "American single certifications – Randy Travis – Forever and Ever, Amen". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  4. Bjorke, Matt (November 8, 2016). "Top 30 Digital Singles Sales Report: November 8, 2016". Roughstock.
  5. "Randy Travis Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.


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