It's Your Song
Encyclopedia
"It's Your Song" is the title of a song written by Pam Wolfe and Benita Hill, and recorded by American country music
artist Garth Brooks
. It was released as the only single from his 1998 live album Double Live, reaching a peak of #9 on the U.S. Billboard country singles charts and #5 on the Canadian RPM country charts that year, as well as peaking at #62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
. Both the live recording from Double Live and an alternate studio recording were shipped to radio.
According to Brooks, Hill pitched him the song after hearing that Brooks' mother was suffering from throat cancer
. Hill had initially written the song about her own mother.
The most noticeable difference can be heard toward the end of the song, with the final refrain; the lyric in question is "Guiding my heart to find/This place where I belong/It was your song/It was your song/It's always been your song." In the live version, Brooks briefly becomes emotional when singing the second "It was your song" before composing himself to end the song. Brooks maintains his composure throughout the final refrain (as well as the rest of the song) in the studio version.
Daily Herald
called the song "earnestness at its slickest", while Ann Powers of The New York Times
said that it was "splendidly corny".
which would air on VH1
, although a music video had already been shipped to the country music station CMT
.
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts dated for November 14, 1998. It entered the Top 10 at #10 one week later, then peaked at #9 on the chart dated for November 28 (only its third week on the chart) before falling to #10 and beginning its descent. Overall, "It's Your Song" spent twenty weeks on the country charts.
It also spent three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100
, peaking at #62 there and representing his first Billboard Hot 100 entry since his cover of Kiss
' "Hard Luck Woman
" peaked at #45 on that chart in mid-1994. In addition, "It's Your Song" reached #5 on the RPM
Country Tracks charts in Canada. After its chart run was finished, Brooks released three singles under the pseudonym Chris Gaines
as part of an aborted side project. He did not chart on the country charts as Garth Brooks again until "Do What You Gotta Do" (from his previous album, Sevens
) in mid-2000.
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...
artist Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
. It was released as the only single from his 1998 live album Double Live, reaching a peak of #9 on the U.S. Billboard country singles charts and #5 on the Canadian RPM country charts that year, as well as peaking at #62 on the U.S. 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...
. Both the live recording from Double Live and an alternate studio recording were shipped to radio.
Content
Written by Benita Hill and Pam Wolfe, "It's Your Song" is a mid-tempo ballad which Brooks dedicated to his mother. In it, he expresses the motivation that she had on him and his career.According to Brooks, Hill pitched him the song after hearing that Brooks' mother was suffering from throat cancer
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
. Hill had initially written the song about her own mother.
Version history
The live version — the one most commonly heard on radio — and the alternate studio version have a couple of differences.The most noticeable difference can be heard toward the end of the song, with the final refrain; the lyric in question is "Guiding my heart to find/This place where I belong/It was your song/It was your song/It's always been your song." In the live version, Brooks briefly becomes emotional when singing the second "It was your song" before composing himself to end the song. Brooks maintains his composure throughout the final refrain (as well as the rest of the song) in the studio version.
Critical reception
The song was given mixed reviews by musical critics: Mark Guarino of the Arlington Heights, IllinoisArlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
Daily Herald
Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois newspaper)
The Daily Herald is a daily newspaper based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The newspaper is distributed in the northern, northwestern and western suburbs of Chicago...
called the song "earnestness at its slickest", while Ann Powers of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said that it was "splendidly corny".
Release history
The live version from Double Live and an alternate studio recording were both released to radio at the same time. Brooks also considered remixing the song especially for an alternate music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
which would air on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, although a music video had already been shipped to the country music station CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
.
Chart positions
"It's Your Song" debuted at #33 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
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...
) charts dated for November 14, 1998. It entered the Top 10 at #10 one week later, then peaked at #9 on the chart dated for November 28 (only its third week on the chart) before falling to #10 and beginning its descent. Overall, "It's Your Song" spent twenty weeks on the country charts.
It also spent three weeks 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...
, peaking at #62 there and representing his first Billboard Hot 100 entry since his cover of Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
' "Hard Luck Woman
Hard Luck Woman
"Hard Luck Woman" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss and the lead single from their 1976 album, Rock and Roll Over. The song was originally written by Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley as a possible track for Rod Stewart, but when Stewart showed no interest in singing it, Kiss decided to keep...
" peaked at #45 on that chart in mid-1994. In addition, "It's Your Song" reached #5 on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Country Tracks charts in Canada. After its chart run was finished, Brooks released three singles under the pseudonym Chris Gaines
Chris Gaines
Chris Gaines is a fictional alternative rock persona created as an alter ego for Garth Brooks to explore rock and roll styles far removed from his success as a country singer....
as part of an aborted side project. He did not chart on the country charts as Garth Brooks again until "Do What You Gotta Do" (from his previous album, Sevens
Sevens (album)
Sevens is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 25, 1997, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and on the Top Country Albums chart. The album also topped the Country album charts in Britain for several months and crossed over into the...
) in mid-2000.
| Chart (1998–1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 62 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 5 |