"A Few Questions" | ||||
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Single by Clay Walker | ||||
from the album A Few Questions | ||||
Released | April 28, 2003 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:46 | |||
Label | RCA Nashville | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ray Scott Phillip Moore Adam Wheeler | |||
Producer(s) | Jimmy Ritchey Clay Walker | |||
Clay Walker singles chronology | ||||
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"A Few Questions" is a song written by Ray Scott, Phillip Moore and Adam Wheeler, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in April 2003 as the lead-off single and title track from his album A Few Questions . It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.
Walker revealed after he heard the song that "[he] got it immediately. There was no mistaking that the song would belong to [his] life." [1]
In an interview with Country Weekly , Walker said, "It feels awesome to be back on the radio with a new song. Our last hit was two years ago with 'Chain of Love.' There's nothing as cool as reaching fans with fresh music." Walker also said, "'A Few Questions' is touching people the way it touched me the first time I heard it. The choruses come right out of the Book of Job. When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 1996, the Book of Job is part of the Bible I read over and over, trying to understand what I needed to do. And every time I sing the song, it lifts up my own spirits as much as it lifts those of others. My favorite line in the song is "When you look down on me, can you see the good through all the bad." That's a powerful thought." [2] In another interview with Country Weekly Walker stated, "It's a very deep song to me. It really relates to me in a lot of ways, because I think everybody has questions in life. [3]
In an interview with the Arizona Daily Star , Walker said, "In today's world, you couple the music that's out there and the world events, I think people just want some stuff that's got substance to it, it's kind of neat to have one of those songs." [4] In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Walker stated, "I was in Salt Lake City and took a call from a lady, and she was crying. She said the song really affected her in a way, because there's a line that goes, "How can two people who've built a loving home/Try for years and never have a child of their own?/And somewhere out there tonight/There's a baby no one's holding tight." She told me, "I watched my sister-in-law have two children and not even care about them. I've always wanted kids and can't even have them. And now I know the answer to that question [in the song], because I've adopted those two kids." So the song has really had an impact on people, and I've been really blessed to have a song like that." [5] After playing a concert in Oregon, Walker said, "It's so exciting to see the reaction of the fans and realize that this song has moved them the way it moved me the first time I heard it." [6]
During an interview with CMT , Walker revealed that philosophical songs like "A Few Questions", "The Chain of Love" and "It Ain't Pretty", are not his favorite form of songs when he said, "Those kinds of story songs are the ones that choke you up. I'm not a person that tends to listen to those songs a whole lot because they are deep. I like something with a little more vocal range in it. But those three songs really do make me think. It takes great songwriters to write them because they're totally lyric-based. They're not standing on production. They're standing on the story and the words." [7] Walker told the Daily News , "I haven't had a new single at radio in a couple of years, but now I am on the best label in town. Whether I fumble or not is up to me." [8]
"A Few Questions" is a country pop ballad with string section, piano, and classical guitar accompaniment. In it, the male narrator asks God a few questions that he has in mind, such as why a couple could fail to produce a child, when there are other children who are unloved and in need of a family.
An electric guitar solo precedes the third verse, in which he asks what God thinks of him ("Can you see the good through all the bad").
Rick Cohoon of Allmusic gave the song a negative review. [9] In his review, he stated that "it really isn't Clay Walker or his performance of [the song] that is so moving." Cohoon also said that "he [Walker] delivers this song in the same way he handles all his other ballads." [9] In his review of the album, Dan MacIntosh of Country Standard Time wrote, "Walker is equally inept at theology, as this album's title track fails to help explain why bad things happen to good people." [10]
"A Few Questions" debuted at #58 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of April 26, 2003. After spending 21 weeks on the chart, it peaked at #9 on the country chart dated September 13, 2003, where it held for four consecutive weeks. [11] It spent a total of 27 weeks on the country chart. [12]
Charts
| Year-end charts
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Ernest Clayton Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You", which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die". Both singles were included on his self-titled debut album, released in 1993 via Giant Records. He stayed with the label until its 2001 closure, later recording for Warner Bros. Records, RCA Records Nashville, and Curb Records.
If I Could Make a Living is the second studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker, released in 1994 on Giant Records. Like his self-titled debut album, this album was certified platinum by the RIAA. It produced the singles "If I Could Make a Living", "This Woman and This Man", and "My Heart Will Never Know", which respectively reached #1, #1, and #16 on the Hot Country Songs charts.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" is a song co-written and performed by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was released on March 20, 2006 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way. The Dixie Chicks wrote the song in response to the backlash they experienced in 2003 after criticizing President George W. Bush.
Rumor Has It is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released April 8, 1997, on Giant Records. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA and reached #32 on the Billboard album charts. Singles released from it include the title track, "One, Two, I Love You", "Watch This", and "Then What?", which respectively reached #1, #18, #4, and #2 on the Hot Country Songs charts between 1997 and 1998.
Live, Laugh, Love is the fifth studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released August 24, 1999, on Giant Records. The album was certified gold by the RIAA and reached number 55 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. "She's Always Right", the title track, "The Chain of Love" and "Once in a Lifetime" were all released as singles, reaching numbers 16, 11, 3 and 50, respectively, on the Hot Country Songs chart. In addition, Walker's rendition of the Earl Thomas Conley single "Holding Her and Loving You" charted from unsolicited airplay received prior to the album's release.
A Few Questions is the seventh studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released September 9, 2003. The album reached #23 on Billboard magazine's album chart. Released from this album were the singles "A Few Questions" and "I Can't Sleep", both of which reached Top Ten on the Hot Country Songs charts. "Jesus Was a Country Boy" reached #31 on the same chart. This was also Walker's only studio album for the RCA label, after Giant Records closed its doors in 2001.
Fall is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker, released in 2007 by Asylum-Curb Records. Its first single was "'Fore She Was Mama", which reached #21 on the Hot Country Songs charts in mid-2007. Following this song was the title track, which reached #5 on the same chart and became Walker's first Top Five country hit since "The Chain of Love" in 2000. "Fall" was also covered by Kimberley Locke, whose own version was a single as well. The third and final single from this album, "She Likes It in the Morning", peaked at #43. Also included is a cover of Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls", recorded here as a duet with Fender. This cover is also Walker's first duet.
"'Fore She Was Mama" is a song written by Casey Beathard and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in October 2006 as the first single from his album Fall. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2007. It was also his first chart entry since "Jesus Was a Country Boy" in 2004.
"Fall", written by Clay Mills, Sonny LeMaire, and Shane Minor, is a song that has been recorded by both country singer Clay Walker and pop singer Kimberley Locke, both of whom are signed to Curb Records. Both versions were released within weeks of each other, in mid-2007. While Walker's version was released to country radio, Locke's went to adult contemporary radio format. Walker's reached number five on the U.S. country singles charts and Locke's achieved number one on the U.S. dance charts. Go West frontman Peter Cox recorded a version of "Fall" on his 2010 album, The S1 Sessions.
"The Chain of Love" is a song written by Rory Feek and Jonnie Barnett, and recorded by American country music singer Charlie Pride and then Clay Walker. It was released in January 2000 by Clay Walker as the third single from his album Live, Laugh, Love. "The Chain of Love" reached a peak of number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, providing Walker with his thirteenth Top Ten hit on that chart. It was also his second Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
"I Can't Sleep" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2004 as the second single from his album A Few Questions, it peaked at #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Walker co-wrote the song with fellow country singer Chely Wright.
"Rumor Has It" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was released in February 1997 as the first single and title track from his album of the same name. The song was written by Walker and M. Jason Greene.
"I Melt" is a song written by Gary LeVox, Wendell Mobley, and Neil Thrasher and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in July 2003 as the third single from the band’s sophomore studio album Melt (2002). The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying at that position for three weeks behind Toby Keith’s "I Love This Bar". This was the group’s seventh entry on that chart.
"Live Until I Die" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in October 1993 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"She Likes It in the Morning is the title of a country music song written by Clay Walker and M. Jason Greene. It was recorded by American singer Clay Walker on his 2007 album Fall album and released as the album's third and final single.
"She Won't Be Lonely Long" is a song written by Galen Griffin, Doug Johnson and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It was released in December 2009 as the first single and title track from his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is his most successful charting single since "The Chain of Love" in 2000.
She Won't Be Lonely Long is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Clay Walker, and was released on June 8, 2010, via Curb Records. It is Walker's first studio album since 2007's Fall.
"Where Do I Go from You" is a song written by Don Cook, Clint Daniels and Ryan Tyndell and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in August 2010 as the second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, becoming his 28th top 40 hit on the chart.
"'Jesus Was a Country Boy" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in July 2004 as the third and final single from his album A Few Questions. It peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2004. The song was written by Walker and Rivers Rutherford.
"Like We Never Said Goodbye" is a song written by Cory Batten and Tiffany Goss and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2012 as the third second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is also the 32nd single of Walker's career.