3 of 18

Write now Article Tools

"Hey Won't You Play Another Somebody Done Me Wrong Song." B.J. Thomas made that song famous many years ago, seeing the title for this article how is it possible that anyone could not think of his song as soon as they see that title. The song was very popular in the mid 1970's. Though the story I am about to tell is that of an eleven year old, who is of myself and the songs that make me think of people doing each other wrong. The song from B. J. Thomas is a sad song, and I feel what happened to my family during the same period is even sadder.

I love country music; its sound runs through my mind continually. It is a part of my very soul. My mom told me my father wrote music with Willy Nelson long before Willy was famous; that would not surprise anyone to know, my dad was a very talented man. My father had a country band, his voice was like velvet, he played lead guitar, and was the lead singer in his band. I would watch him learn a song, though he could not read music, he would turn on the record player, on a speed slower than it was meant to be. My dad would sit for hours learning to play the song on his guitar. When he finished learning the song, he could match Roy Clark's fingers strum for strum. His band members were always playing music in our house, and I went to many "honky tonks" with my dad when I was young. He would take me to places like the VFW, I would stand beside him on a chair, and we would sing a duet, "Make the World Go Away."

Though I was young, I knew the words to all of the songs, but never put meaning to them until that summer. I was eleven years old in the summer of 1971 that is when I realized that country music told stories. Not just any kind of stories, but often the songs they sung were very sad stories. That was the summer of my parents divorced. Odd how I had never noticed songs told stories before that time.

Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty are the names that I remember. My mom would cry all the time lying across the bed day after day night after night listening to those albums repeatedly. I do not recall the names of the albums though the words of the songs are forever in my mind. "Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today; me and little J-O-E will be going away," Tammy Wynette would sing repeatedly in her sad, crying voice. Then Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, "Hello darlin' it's been a long time, nice to..." and the killing last sentence of that song, "come back darlin' I'll be waiting for you." I dreaded when that song ended. That only meant my mom would start the albums over again. She would continue to cry and there was no consoling her, though I always tried. There were many sad songs on the two albums I remember. Those songs held so much meaning. The songs I will never forget.

I was eleven, my mom worked two jobs to make ends meet, I was the oldest of six, and I grew up that summer. I wanted to cry because I knew I would never see my daddy again. He had taken a plane far away, to another woman that much I understood. I did not have time to cry for my personal loss. My littlest sister was 6 months old I had to take care of my sisters and brothers. Mom was busy working, and crying whenever she was home. It had to be me to make sure mom did not leave us too. That is how an eleven-year-old feels in the situation I was in.

There have been so many country songs through the years that are sad, have made me cry and I have loved. However, there is one thing that will never leave me, it is the summer of 1971, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynne and Tammy Wynette; and learning that the songs tell stories, and have meaning, a lesson I remember wishing I never had to learn.

Learn more about this author, Mary Tyrer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Unforgettable "done me wrong" country songs?
We want to hear your view. Write now!