1995 | Peak: #1
With all the righteous indignation regarding the lackluster performance of “So You Don’t Have to
Love Me Anymore” at radio, it’s easy to forget that country radio once played the bad Alan Jackson singles just as much as the great ones.
Case in point: “I Don’t Even Know Your Name” was a #1 single.
Perhaps that’s a little unfair. The song is somewhat clever, and it was apparently memorable enough that Carrie Underwood rewrote it a decade later. I think I’d like it a lot more if it was missing the final verse, much like the waitress was missing her front tooth.
But it’s that kind of forced humor that makes me wince every time Brad Paisley tries to be funny. Jackson pulls it off better than most, but it’s just not my cup of tea. Love the instrumentation, though.
Written by Alan Jackson, Ron Jackson, and Andy Lofton
Grade: C
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httpv:www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aNjYlgwBN0
It’s not a station-changer for me, but I can’t say I’ve ever really gotten into this song. I think you nailed the Brad Paisley comparison. This is still more tolerable than some of Paisley’s recent efforts, but they share the same problem with regard to the forced nature of the humor.
Totally agree. The song is dumb, but I really like the instrumentation.
This is the first time anyone acknowledged Carrie Underwood ripped off this song in 2008, at least in anything I’ve read.
Alan has rightly admitted this song was written as a joke, and therefore I think he means it should be taken as such. But at least he styled it correctly.