Random Country Songs With Surprisingly Dark Meanings (15 items)

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  (#6) Why They Call It Falling

  • Lee Ann Womack

  Lee Ann Womack has a knack for making every song feel floaty and inspirational, and "Why They Call It Falling" starts off feeling very uplifting, saying that falling in love feels like "walkin' on the ceilin'." But by the end of the song, she's describing love much differently:

  It's like a knife
  Through the heart
  And it all comes apart 

  She continues:

  It's a hole
  It's a cave
  It's kind of like a grave
  When he tells you that he's found somebody new 

  While it's not super clear whether she or her ex-love perishes, few songs have turned from intense joy to overwhelming misery so quickly. 
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  (#2) You Are My Sunshine - Gene Autry

  Most of us are familiar with the refrain of Gene Autry's "You Are My Sunshine." At this point, it's a de facto nursery rhyme and mothers across the country sing the chorus to soothe their crying babies. In reality, those babies should probably keep crying because this isn't the sweet love song we all believe it to be. Instead, it's a gutting, desperate plea to a lover who has left the singer for another man, and it contains a bit of a threat if you listen to more than just the chorus:

  I'll always love you and make you happy
  If you will only say the same
  But if you leave me to love another
  You'll regret it all some day

  Just as it's been sung by many mothers as a lullaby, other artists have recorded this song, including Jimmie Davis and Johnny Cash.
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  (#9) They're Hanging Me Tonight - Marty Robbins

  Marty Robbins's 1959 country hit offers the unique perspective of a man awaiting his punishment after slaying his ex-lover and her new man. During the first few stanzas, Robbins never distinctly mentions the misdeed. He sings about Flo's absence in the most casually heartbroken way:

  I begged her not to go
  But another man had changed her mind
  So I said goodbye to Flo 

  Later, you find out the narrator followed her and her new man and took them both out. At least in this ballad, the narrator seems to feel bad about it. 
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  (#8) Pictures From Life's Other Side

  • Hank Williams

  According to Rolling Stone, "Pictures from Life's Other Side" is a tale as old as time. The original dates back to the 19th century; it was covered by Woody Guthrie in 1944 and popularized by Hank Williams in the '50s. For a song that's stood the test of time, it sure is dark.

  "Pictures from Life's Other Side" conjures images of people moments from the end - a mother and child who drown in a river, and an old woman who perishes all alone. It doesn't really get more depressing than that.
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  (#10) Delia's Gone - Johnny Cash

  Like most of Johnny Cash's songs, "Delia's Gone" feels like a ballad about a typical heartbreak, but there's nothing typical happening here. The reason Delia can't be his wife isn't because she broke up with him and left town, it's because she was "cold and mean," so he ended her. Not only is the premise incredibly creepy, but it's also actually based on a real story, and the song gets extremely graphic about Delia's suffering with the lyrics:

  First time I shot her
  Shot her in the side
  Hard to watch her suffering
  But with the second shot she died 

  It's all pretty hard to swallow, but Cash somehow makes the scene seem casual. By the end of it, his sorrowful, deep voice has you almost feeling sympathetic toward the narrator, as if it was just your typical breakup ballad.
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  (#13) Goodbye Earl - The Dixie Chicks

  The Dixie Chicks have a certain knack for singing about domestic disputes in way that seems overwhelmingly upbeat. "Goodbye Earl" showcases their talents for hiding disturbing lyrics in a catchy pop song, but the fans seem to be in on the joke. As one YouTube commenter proclaimed, "This video clip sets a terrible example for young women to follow. Much higher standards need to be followed when disposing of bodies."

  If you haven't figure it out by now, Earl totally gets whacked. Given that ending, it's not super surprising that a lot of radio stations refused to play the hit when it first came out.

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