"A Lesson in Leavin'", also titled as "Lesson in Leavin'"', is a country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 song written by Randy Goodrum

Randy Goodrum

Randy Goodrum is an American songwriter. Goodrum has written numerous popular songs, including Anne Murray's #1 hit "You Needed Me" and "Broken Hearted Me" , Michael Johnson's "Bluer Than Blue" , England Dan & John Ford Coley's "It's Sad to Belong" , Steve Perry's "Oh Sherrie" , DeBarge's "Who's...

 and Brent Maher. It was originally recorded in 1980 by American country music singer, Dottie West

Dottie West

Dottie West was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and co-recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most influential and groundbreaking female artists...

, who brought the song to #1 on the Billboard Country Chart. In 1999, it was re-recorded by American country music singer, Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...

, whose version spent seven weeks at #2 on the Billboard Country Chart.

Song information

Both versions of "A Lesson in Leavin'" is set at a mid-beat tempo. The song discusses how a woman is angry that her male lover has cheated on her. She hopes that the man's next lover treats him the way the woman was treated, saying that he will be given "a lesson in leavin."

Dottie West version

Dottie West was the first singer to release the song as a single and titled it "A Lesson in Leavin'." West's version was recorded in country pop

Country pop

Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...

 style that was apparent on most her singles in the 1980s.
West's version peaked at #1 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart the week of April 26, 1980, becoming her first #1 hit as a solo artist, along with another #1 single shortly afterwards titled, "Are You Happy Baby

Are You Happy Baby

"Are You Happy Baby" is a 1981 single written by Bob Stone and performed by Dottie West. The song became one of West's signature tunes.-About the Song:...

."
In addition the single was reached #73 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 and was a minor hit on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks

Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks

The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...

 chart.
The song helped to revitalize West's career, after having a series of unsuccessful solo singles in the 1970s. The song helped West endure popularity during the early 1980s.

Peak chart positions

Chart (1980)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	73
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	42
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	23

Jo Dee Messina version

Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...

 released a cover of West's original "A Lesson in Leavin'," but retitled the song, "Lesson in Leavin'." The song was released in 1999 as the fourth single from Messina's second album, 1998's I'm Alright

I'm Alright (Jo Dee Messina album)

I'm Alright is the second studio album released by American country music singer Jo Dee Messina. It was released in 1998. Her highest selling album to date, it has been certified 2× Multi-Platinum for U.S. sales of two million copies...

. The song was a major hit in 1999, spending seven weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks

Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

chart that summer.

Peak chart positions

"Lesson in Leavin'" debuted at #56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of May 1, 1999.

Chart (1999)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	28
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	2

End of year charts

End of year chart (1999)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	93