Country veteran George Strait is famous for turning neo-traditionalist tear-jerkers into No. 1 hits. Our picks for the 10 most despondent, from 2004’s 50 Number Ones collection.
1
“Fool Hearted Memory” (1982) “He fills the jukebox/And plays the same old song/He fills his glass/And then he turns her memory on.”
2
“Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” (1985) “You left me here to be with him in Dallas/And I know it hurt you at the time/Well I wonder now if it makes a difference/Does Fort Worth ever cross your mind?”
3
“Famous Last Words of a Fool” (1988) “The first night without her would be easy, I kept tellin’ myself/Although I’m dyin’ at the thought of her lyin’ somewhere else.”
4
“Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” (1989) “I’m sittin’ on the front steps, staring down the road, wonderin’ if she’ll come back/This time I don’t know/After she packed, when she looked back/There were no tears in her eyes.”
5
“The Chill of an Early Fall” (1991) “I’ve shivered all day, and when I look in her eyes/Needing to hold her so tight, she just looks away/Oh she’ll swear that it’s true, he’s just someone she knew long ago/And I’ll know that’s not all.”
6
“I’d Like to Have That One Back” (1994) “I can almost see her standing there, tears rollin’ down her face/As she packed away her memories in that old worn-out suitcase/If I’d only known then what I know now/I’d never open that door/Oh they just don’t make hearts like hers anymore.”
7
“You Can’t Make a Heart Love Somebody” (1995) “Then she reached for his hand and said I want you to know/I’ve done everything that I know of to make the feeling grow/I’ve begged and I’ve pleaded with my heart but there’s no gettin’ through/My heart’s the only part of me that’s not in love with you.”
8
“I Know She Still Loves Me” (1996) “She still kisses me each morning/But it seems more like a habit than before/I know she still loves me/But I don’t think she likes me anymore.”
9
“Today My World Slipped Away” (1997) “We made it final today/I gave you all I had, you made your getaway/All the love we once made turned to memories today/I left the courtroom and went straight to the church/I hit my knees and told God how much I hurt/Nothin’ left of my heart/It’s gonna be so hard to make a new start.”
10
“She’ll Leave You With a Smile” (2002) “One day you’ll pass her on the street/With that guy you used to be/She’ll say hello and walk on by.” –SP
With Little Big Town, Josh Turner. February 2, 8 p.m., $52.50-$100. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 891-7777.