George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today Jones originally refused to record this song on the basis that it was too miserable; according to the biography George Jones: The Life and Times of a Honky Tonk Legend, "he thought it was too long, too sad, too depressing and that nobody would ever play it." Luckily for us, Jones changed his mind, and the song went on to win him a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1980.
Johnny Cash - Hurt Cash was 71 when he recorded this cover of the Nine Inch Nails' 1995 song in 2003, and his trademark gravelly voice delivers lyrics about pain and depression in such a way that you'll be reaching for the tissues by the end of the first chorus.
It reached number one on the Canadian country charts as well and it was also a successful pop song, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song tells the story of two young lovers dealing with difficult scenarios at three different stages in their lives.
Johnny doesn't want the girl to come fishing with them.
So he begs his father to "take any boy in the world / Daddy please, don't take the girl".
The song was Mc Graw's fifth single overall, and his first number-one single on the Hot Country Songs chart.The robber grabs the girl and tells Johnny to give in to his demands.Johnny surrenders his money, wallet, credit cards, a watch that his grandfather gave him, and even his car keys so that the girl would be safe (in the music video, the crook's only seen running away with the wallet).Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the song has the listeners "crying in their beer in the dancehalls down in Texas." Price goes on to say that once radio gets a hold of it, the song will take off. Intercut with Mc Graw, performing in front of dark blue lights."Don't Take the Girl" debuted at number 17 on the U. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 2, 1994.