Guess Things Happen That Way
"Guess Things Happen That Way" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two | ||||
from the album Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous | ||||
B-side | "Come In, Stranger" | |||
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 | ||||
|
"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 #1 on the country chart spending eight weeks at #1, and a total of 24 weeks on the chart.[3]
The B-side of "Guess Things Happen That Way", a song entitled, "Come In Stranger" made it to #6 on the country chart. The single also crossed over to the pop chart, peaking at #66.[4] The song was also featured in the 1993 film A Perfect World directed by Clint Eastwood and was put on the film's soundtrack.
Content
The song is about a man struggling after the love of his life has died.
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.
- Dr. John on his posthumous album Things Happen That Way in 2022
- Terry Manning recorded a rock version for his "Home Sweet Home" Album released in 1970.
- Charlie Pride included a version of the song for his "Make Mine Country" Album released in 1968.
In 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 (2000). That Old-time Rock & Roll: A Chronicle of an Era, 1954-1963. p. 106. ISBN 9780252069192. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Guess Things Happen That Way". Allmusic. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 74.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2000). Top Singles 1955-1999. Record Research. p. 103.
- ^ "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 (25 February 2010). "iTunes Prize Winner to Steve Jobs: Yeah Right, Who Is This Really?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
- v
- t
- e
1950s |
---|
1960s |
|
---|
1970s |
|
---|
1980s |
|
---|
1990s |
|
---|
2000–2020s |
|
---|
- At Folsom Prison
- At San Quentin
- The Johnny Cash Show
- På Österåker
- Strawberry Cake
- Koncert v Praze (In Prague – Live)
- VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson
- At Madison Square Garden
- A Concert Behind Prison Walls
- I Walk the Line
- Little Fauss and Big Halsy
- Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous
- Greatest!
- Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams
- Now Here's Johnny Cash
- All Aboard the Blue Train with Johnny Cash
- Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash
- Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash
- Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
- Heart of Cash
- Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
- Sunday Morning Coming Down
- International Superstar
- Five Feet High and Rising
- Destination Victoria Station
- Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
- The Unissued Johnny Cash
- Johnny & June
- Tall Man
- Encore
- Biggest Hits
- The Man in Black 1954–1958
- The Man in Black 1959–1962
- Come Along and Ride This Train
- The Essential Johnny Cash (1992)
- Wanted Man
- The Man in Black 1963–1969
- The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits
- 16 Biggest Hits
- Love, God, Murder
- The Essential Johnny Cash (2002)
- Unearthed
- The Legend
- The Legend of Johnny Cash
- Patriot
- 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash
- The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II
- The Complete Columbia Album Collection
- Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- "25 Minutes to Go"
- "Seasons of My Heart"
- "Any Old Wind That Blows"
- "A Wonderful Time Up There"
- "The Ballad of Boot Hill"
- "The Ballad of Ira Hayes"
- "Ballad of a Teenage Queen"
- "Big River"
- "Blistered"
- "A Boy Named Sue"
- "Busted"
- "Cat's in the Cradle"
- "Cocaine Blues"
- "Cry! Cry! Cry!"
- "Daddy Sang Bass"
- "Dark as a Dungeon"
- "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
- "Engine 143"
- "Flesh and Blood"
- "The Folk Singer"
- "Folsom Prison Blues"
- "Forty Shades of Green"
- "Get Rhythm"
- "Give My Love to Rose"
- "Goodnight, Irene"
- "Green, Green Grass of Home"
- "Greystone Chapel"
- "Guess Things Happen That Way"
- "Hey, Porter"
- "Home of the Blues"
- "Hurt"
- "I Couldn't Keep from Crying"
- "I Love You Because"
- "I Still Miss Someone"
- "I Walk the Line"
- "If I Had a Hammer"
- "If I Were a Carpenter"
- "In My Life"
- "In the Jailhouse Now"
- "It Ain't Me Babe"
- "Jackson"
- "Kate"
- "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream"
- "The Man Comes Around"
- "Man in Black"
- "The Matador"
- "Oh Lonesome Me"
- "One Piece at a Time"
- "Oney"
- "Orange Blossom Special"
- "The One on the Right Is on the Left"
- "Remember the Alamo"
- "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky"
- "Ring of Fire"
- "Rock Island Line"
- "So Doggone Lonesome"
- "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"
- "Tennessee Flat Top Box"
- "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang"
- "A Thing Called Love"
- "Understand Your Man"
- "What Is Truth"
- "What'd I Say"
- "Without Love"
- "You Are My Sunshine"
- Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words
- Cash: The Autobiography
- Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music
- My Father and the Man in Black
- Walk the Line
- Ring of Fire (musical)
- Ring of Fire (2013 film)
- The Sound Behind Johnny Cash
- Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash
- Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
- Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
- Walk the Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
- Fade to Black: Memories of Johnny
- All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
- Johnny Cash Remixed
- We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash
- Forever Words
This 1950s country song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e