Singer-songwriter Vince Gill has a pretty impressive string of accolades, from a whopping 22 Grammy Awards to a Certified Quintuple-Platinum album with I Still Believe In You from 1992. His work is still inspiring songwriters in and out of country music today, and we can trace the bulk of his success to the fact that he’s an incredible lyricist and songwriter. Let’s take a look at just a few Vince Gill lyrics that still get listeners teary-eyed and songwriters inspired after all these years.
“Go Rest High On That Mountain” from ‘When Love Finds You’ (1995)
“Oh, how we cried the day you left us / We gathered round your grave to grieve / Wish I could see the angels’ faces / When they hear your sweet voice sing.”
This is easily one of Vince Gill’s most famous songs, and for good reason. This eulogic country ballad began as a work Gill wrote following the passing of fellow singer Keith Whitley in 1989. It sat on the shelf for a few years until Gill’s own brother, Bob, passed away in 1993, and he revisited the song and finished it. It’s an absolutely heartbreaking tune, and it shows just how brilliant and vulnerable a songwriter Gill is.
“Tryin’ To Get Over You” from ‘I Still Believe In You’ (1994)
“You could have given me a million reasons why / But it wouldn’t change a thing / You said it all when you said goodbye / And you took off your wedding ring.”
This country chart-topper is memorable for its lyrics and sound alone, but many fans of “Tryin’ To Get Over You” likely remember its somber music video. The video features Gill’s wife at the time, Janis Oliver, walking a separate path. Each is going in new directions alone; the symbolism is obvious, but heartbreaking and painfully relatable nonetheless. Gill and Oliver would divorce in 1997.
“A Little More Love” from ‘High Lonesome Sound’ (1997)
“Let’s put our differences aside / We can make it baby, you and I / Let’s give it just one more try / We can’t let this thing die.”
To be honest, I remember this song best for its catchy melody and excellent guitar track. But the lyrics of “A Little More Love” are also super memorable, and Vince Gill delivers many of the song’s lines with an airy, feathery tone. “A Little More Love” shows our narrator begging the person he loves to stick it out, despite the rough patch in their relationship, and to try opting for tenderness and love instead of ending things. This song was a somewhat moderate hit on the charts, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart. I think it deserves a little bit more love.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
The post 3 Poetic Lyrics by Vince Gill That Still Make Listeners Teary-Eyed appeared first on American Songwriter.