"What I Meant to Say" is the title of a song by American 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...

 artist Wade Hayes

Wade Hayes

Tony Wade Hayes is an American country music artist. Signed to Columbia Records in 1994, he made his debut that year with his gold-certified album Old Enough to Know Better...

. It was co-written by Sam Hogin, Jim McBride and Don Cook

Don Cook

Don Kirby Cook is an American record producer and songwriter whose work is mainly in the field of country music. Artists who recorded Cook's material include Barbara Mandrell, John Conlee, Mark Collie, Wade Hayes and Brooks & Dunn...

, who also produced it. It was the fourth and final single released from Hayes' debut album Old Enough to Know Better

Old Enough to Know Better

Old Enough to Know Better is the debut album of American country music artist Wade Hayes. Released in early 1995 on Columbia Records, it produced a Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in its title track; the singles "I'm Still Dancing with You", "Don't Stop", and...

in late 1995. It reached #5 on the Billboard

Billboard (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 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...

 chart and #15 on the Canadian 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 singles chart. It even charted on the Billboard Hot 200, peaking at #116.

Content

The narrator realizes that he hurt his lover when he said he could walk out on her and regrets it deeply. In the chorus he tells her that he really meant to apologize and to tell her that he loves her.

Critical reception

Larry Flick, of Billboard

Billboard (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...

magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "slow and pretty ballad." He goes on to say the song proves that "as good as Hayes sounds on uptempo, this ballad is further proof that he can slow it way down and still deliver the goods with warmth and style."

Music video

The music video was directed by Steven Goldmann

Steven Goldmann

Steven Goldmann is a Canadian music video and film director. He has directed over 200 music videos. Goldmann also directed the movies Broken Bridges and Trailer Park of Terror, and has additionally directed several television programs.-1990-1999:...

 and shot completely in sepia tone. It begins with Wade sitting alone in a bar. As he gets up and goes outside everything and everybody starts going backwards as he walks back to his house. When he gets there, his lover is waiting there, crying after their fight. When he hugs her, time goes back to normal and they go inside.

Chart performance

"What I Meant to Say" debuted at number sixty-nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of October 28, 1995.

Chart (1995)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	5
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	15
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100	116