Guess Things Happen That Way
"Guess Things Happen That Way" is a 1958 cross over single by Johnny Cash, which was written by Jack Clement. The single[2] was Johnny Cash's fourth number one on the country chart spending eight weeks at number one and a total of twenty-four weeks on the chart.[3]
"Guess Things Happen That Way" | ||||
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Single by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two | ||||
from the album Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous | ||||
Released | May 19, 1958 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 1:52 | |||
Label | Sun | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jack Clement | |||
Producer(s) | Sam Phillips Jack Clement | |||
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two singles chronology | ||||
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The B-side of "Guess Things Happen That Way", a song entitled, "Come In Stranger" made it to number six on the country chart. The single also crossed over to the pop chart, peaking at number eleven.[4] The song was also featured in the 1993 film A Perfect World directed by Clint Eastwood and was put on the films soundtrack.
Content
The song is about a man struggling after the love of his life has left him.
Critical reception
As Allmusic describes it, the song "featured an arrangement dominated by piano and a vocal chorus adding distinctive 'ba-doo's throughout [that is] ...slicker than, say, "Cry! Cry! Cry!" or "I Walk the Line" [but with] an eccentric tone all its own — largely because the vocal chorus (who sound as if they're occupying a middle ground between doo wop and barbershop quartet) is in such stark contrast to Cash's lead vocal."[2]
The song was banned by the BBC upon its 1958 release when the head of religious broadcasting objected to the lines "God gave me that girl to lean on, / Then he put me on my own. / Heaven help me be a man / And have the strength to stand alone."[5][6]
Chart performance
Chart (1958) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 11 |
Covers
- Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers on At the Ryman
- Pop singer June Valli had a minor revival of the song in 1961. Her version peaked at #92 in the Music Vendor Top 100.
Popular Culture
- On February 25, 2010, the song, purchased by grandfather and Woodstock, Georgia native Louie Sulcer, became the 10 billionth download through the Apple iTunes Store.[9]
References
- Richard Aquila. "That Old-time Rock & Roll: A Chronicle of an Era, 1954-1963". Books.google.com. p. 106. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- Deming, Mark. "Guess Things Happen That Way". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 74.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 110.
- "30 songs banned by the BBC". 17 December 2015 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- "Wie Einst, Lili Marleen: Songs The BBC Banned". 17 December 2016.
- "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- Kreps, Daniel (February 25, 2010). "iTunes Prize Winner to Steve Jobs: Yeah Right, Who Is This Really?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved 2010-02-28.