“If You Change Your Mind”
Rosanne Cash
Written by Rosanne Cash and Hank DeVito
Radio & Records
#1 (1 week)
June 24, 1988
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
July 16, 1988
Out of her eleven No. 1 country hits, “If You Change Your Mind” is easily her least distinctive. It’s easy to picture anyone from Holly Dunn to Tanya Tucker singing this song over the same backing track, which you can’t say about most of Cash’s chart toppers.
It’s a window into what her career could’ve been if she prioritized writing and recording radio hits. She does it well, even though it’s hard not to wince at the line, “Call me on the telephone. Darlin’, I am always home.” But that’s pretty much in line with the prevailing attitude of songs being written for women during this era.
Cash is nearing the end of her radio run, but she wraps things up with two more No. 1 hits.
“If You Change Your Mind” gets a B.
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I have basically identical thoughts on this one. Of all of Rosanne’s radio hits, this one stands out for just how paint-by-numbers it is, and the lyric you mention stands out for the rarity of Rosanne portraying herself so willingly and unapologetically as a doormat. Crystal Gayle had a similarly titled hit from the early 80s which is fitting because I can easily imagine her singing Rosanne’s song five years earlier. That’s not a slight against either Rosanne or Crystal though as it’s still a quality record where both the vocals and production sound great. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if the studio pushed for this song’s inclusion on “King’s Record Shop” and subsequent release as a single to ensure commercial viability. It might even partly explain why Rosanne opted out of playing the radio game so soon afterward. Ultimately, I’d have preferred the fantastic “The Real Me” over this as a single from “King’s Record Shop” but I definitely don’t have anything against this one, which is always a pleasing listen.
Grade: B+
I prefer Emmylou’s take on it, but “I Don’t Have to Crawl” is such a great song and I wish Rosanne’s take had a chance at radio.
Loved that one too. Didn’t know Emmylou had previously recorded it. Just about every song from “King’s Record Shop” had the potential to be a top-10 hit.
Emmy’s version of the song was my white whale. It took me twenty years to finally get a HQ version of it after hearing a snippet of it on the CBS Women of Country special. It wasn’t until hearing Cash’s version on KRS that I knew the song’s title.
Radio didn’t bite – I think it missed the top 40 of the country chart. I love it, though. Cash songs it with such heartbreak. Harris snarls it through gritted teeth.
https://youtu.be/fPNuzk_VV3A?feature=shared
Good stuff. From 1981 I see. Are you talking about the “Women of Country” special from 1993? I definitely watched that…and rewatched it! I missed the snippet of Emmylou singing that. As recently as the last couple of years, I sent a clip of that special to a handful of coworkers. Between the five of us, we were able to identify the majority of the women who showed up for the performance of “The Hard Way”.
That’s the one! They show the music video for like 20 seconds when they’re talking about women in the 80s. It sent me on a wild goose chase. I even asked for the Emmylou Harris box set for Christmas, hoping it would be on it.
I’m liking Emmylou’s version, as I had only heard Rosanne’s before. They do it so well in their own styles.
Cash had a string of #1 hits in the 1980s. When you look at the top 10 females with the most Billboard #1s, the list is impressive.
Dolly Parton – 25
Reba McEntire – 24
Tammy Wynette – 20
Crystal Gayle – 18
Loretta Lynn – 16
Carrie Underwood – 14
Rosanne Cash – 11
Anne Murray – 10
Tanya Tucker – 10
Wynonna also had 14 with the Judds plus 4 solo for a total of 18
Reba actually had 25 Bullboatd number 1 singles. I don’t know if it’s because she is not creditied, but even Billboard Magazine overlooks her #1 with Hank Jr of ” Mind your Own Buisness”. Every chance I get I comment on Any story or post that miscalculates her total.
MYOB was uncredited, like the Oslin feature on Alabama’s “Fallin’ Again.” I think both should be considered in their tallies of number one singles.
I like Wynonna being credited for all 18 number ones, too.
I believe Reba, Willie, and the others are not counted on MYOB is because the single 45 only had Hank Jr’s name on it. I feel the same way about Stevie nicks not getting credit for Whenever I Call You Friend because the record only had Kenny Loggins on it. It was CLEARLY a duet.
Kevin, you are the LAST person I would correct regarding this, but, “Face To Face.”
Oh, I do that all the time. I’m very lucky that WordPress has such extensive editing features!
I assume Loretta’s total does not include her duets with Conway Twitty
Yes it does. Loretta had a lot of controversial songs that some radio stations wouldn’t play. So, they would hit the top 5 or 10 but wouldn’t hit #1.
Tammy’s total also includes her duets with George Jones.
I guess that it depends upon which chart one is using. According to Music Vendor/Record World, Loretta had twenty-six #1 records through April 10, 1982 when the RW charts ceased operations. Through that date Dolly Parton had fifteen #1 records, Tammy Wynette had twenty-four #1 records, and Reba had zero #1 records
…thanks for the input caj. this particular blog entry had actually made me wondering, whether any other female country act had more no. 1 hits than rosanne cash in the 80s decade only. judging from your list and doing some additional counting (wiki), dolly parton would match rosanne cash’s 11 chart-toppers with the same number, crystal gayle scored 10 and the judds had the most with 14 followed by reba with 13.
pretty impressive stats for the women in the 80s, especially in comparison with today and the last two decades.
I like Ms. Cash but this is a pretty mediocre effort. It reminds me of another song that was on pop radio at the time (I did not care for that song either) but this is a pretty darn good album and almost any other song on the album would have been a better selection for single release – I’d give it a “C”
I have enjoyed the wonderful detour the comments section took here.
“If You Change Your Mind” doesn’t move Cash’s artistic needle much but it is noteworthy for just how solid a song it still is. It’s a “glue” song that capably holds her run of more compelling and stronger hits together.
Here, she handles the naked vulnerability of waiting for somebody well, communicating a patient commitment more than needy weakness.
I like the song, but don’t love it like I like so many others of Rosanne’s and I think the less… personality in the song is why.