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1995 | Peak: #6
The list of distinguished artists who have recorded “Song for the Life” is a long one, but Alan Jackson is the only one who managed to make a hit out of it.
That radio played this pensive and philosophical ballad at all is a testament to Jackson’s incredible popularity at the time. Its mere presence on the airwaves elevated the genre for the handful of weeks it was in heavy rotation.
When you have some time, check out the other versions of this by the Seldom Scene, Johnny Cash, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alison Krauss, John Denver, Waylon Jennings, Kathy Mattea, and its writer, Rodney Crowell. It’s one of those songs that reveals quite a bit about where a singer is in their life and how they feel about the meaning of it all.
For my money, Jackson’s reading is the best, though I suspect he’d hit it even further out of the park if he recorded it again today.
Written by Rodney Crowell
Grade: A
Next: I Don’t Even Know Your Name
Previous: A Good Year for the Roses (with George Jones)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox9UpKZjrps
Just beautiful. You sure can’t go wrong with Rodney Crowell.
What Ben said. This is probably my favorite AJ radio single to date.
Yes, I love this song.