The upcoming CMA awards could very well be dominated by Sugarland’s “Stay”, which earned Single and Video nominations for the popular duo and a Song nomination for lead singer Jennifer Nettles.
It got me thinking about other songs that are sung from the “other woman” perspective. Portraying the woman outside the marriage isn’t done often, but I always seem to enjoy those songs when they come along. Loretta Lynn’s known for being the one confronting the other woman, but she played the other role in her classic single “The Other Woman”:
Olivia Newton-John had a big pop hit and minor country hit with “A Little More Love” in 1978, where she waits “alone in the heat” for the man who drives her so crazy that she can only confess, “‘I know that you’ll have your way. ‘Til you have to go home, no’s a word I can’t say.”
Tanya Tucker tells the story of the other woman in the third person in “Soon”, which is one of the best singles from the latter part of her career:
Is one of these your favorite “Other Woman” song, or is it one that I’ve missed?
Sharing a name with Loretta’s hit, Jean Shepard’s “Other Woman.”
Miranda Lambert’s “More Like Her” is one that I love right now.
For Chris D., I have to give a shout out to SHeDaisy’s “She Gets What I Deserve”, from the perspective of the other woman:
It’s not the way that I planned
Just the right man, the wrong time
Even the moments he’s holdin’ me
I know he’s not really mine
When I peer into the windows of the home
I’m torn apart
I can’t help but wonder
Whatever happened to my heart
Such an uninvited lesson
I never meant to learn
She gets what I deserve
I can’t whitewash my excuses
I can’t cover up the stain
I can’t give back what I’ve taken
I should be the one to bare the pain
I just pray that God forgives me
For what I’ve done to her
She gets what I deserve
She gets what I deserve
Thanks Leeann, as soon as I saw the topic, I was going to say that song. xD
Even if you hate SHeDAISY, check out that song, it’s stellar. *goes to listen to it now*
Sorry for stealing it from you, Chris. I’m a fan of the song too, so I thought you’d appreciate someone else joining the SHEDaisy choir.:)
I love that Tucker song as well.
Thanks, I usually think I’m the only one that likes them. xD
I guess “I Can Love You Better” by the Dixie Chicks could be a pre-other-woman song. It’s like solicitation for her to be the other woman. xD
Also, I’m not convinced “More Like Her” is an “other woman” song. I interpreted it as her being the ex-girlfriend, and her ex is going back to his last girl, but I could be wrong.
Reba McEntire and Linda Davis’ “Does He Love You” comes to mind.
I go back and forth on that myself, Chris.
I think it’s purposely vague, but it’s just vague enough to still be emotional and amazing, unlike crappy vague songs.
Here’s another “other woman” song that I bet few people here have heard of–“She’s A Very Lovely Woman”, as done by Linda Ronstadt. This is from her fourth and final appearance on Johnny Cash’s show, in February 1971:
I was also going to mention SHeDAISY’s song, but you both beat me to it. I can’t really think of any that haven’t been mentioned so far so I’ll just go back to my movie now…
All the way back to 1959, Skeeter Davis had the hit “Set Him Free”– and remade the song in a more countrypolitan version in 1967.
Hands down Dolly Parton’s “Cologne”.
“Does He Love You” also popped immediately to my mind.
“Stay” is also very good.
‘Does He Love You?’
Love Her and Lose Me from Heidi Newfield’s new album – which has to be one of favorite tracks —
And the Shedaisy song was the first one that popped into my head.
SHEDaisy also had Punishment on their first album that seemed to be an other woman song.