“I Wouldn’t Have Missed it For the World”
Ronnie Milsap
Written by Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan, and Charles Quillen
Radio & Records
#1 (1 week)
January 8, 1982
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
January 16, 1982
We are deep into Ronnie Milsap’s imperial period now.
Milsap had a long and industrious run at country radio, with his commercial peak coming in the early eighties with a string of flawless pop country confections that amplified all of his considerable strengths as a vocalist and musician.
“I Wouldn’t Have Missed it For the World” could have been a hit by any artist. It’s one of those songs that confronts grief with gratitude, as he determines that having his heart broken was worth it because of how great it was having her as his partner for a moment in time.
There’s an emotional maturity in the lyric that Milsap elevates with his performance, as you can actually hear his joy for having had this woman in his life. He’s choosing not to have a broken heart by reminding himself that he was one of the few lucky souls on the planet to experience her love in the first place.
Is this all just a façade that will collapse once she’s out the door? She’ll never know, and neither will we.
Milsap will top the charts again with his next single, and it’s of the same caliber as this one. What a run.
“I Wouldn’t Have Missed it For the World” gets an A.
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Hard to believe Milsap was often vilified and pilloried as representing the worst of ’80’s country. If only all pop-country confections were this sweet and satisfying.
I love how his vocals explode like a firework at the opening of the chorus, putting the emphasis on his first person testimonial to just how good the good times were. The sunshine couldn’t have been any brighter. He is not suggesting that just anyone could deal with the pain of losing her, but he is joyously sharing that he personally wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
T. G. Sheppard should take note because Milsap doesn’t want to claim the girl or her gifts, he wants to celebrate the shared experience. He doesn’t have to hope she had fun because he knows how much she means to him. He can’t talk about himself without mentioning her.
Gratitude delivered with grace and humility by a brilliant vocalist.