"Awful, Beautiful Life" | ||||
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Single by Darryl Worley | ||||
from the album Darryl Worley | ||||
Released | July 12, 2004 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:52(album version) 3:35 (radio edit) | |||
Label | DreamWorks Nashville | |||
Songwriter(s) | Harley Allen Darryl Worley | |||
Producer(s) | Frank Rogers | |||
Darryl Worley singles chronology | ||||
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"Awful, Beautiful Life" is a song recorded by American country music artist Darryl Worley. The song was written by Worley and Harley Allen and produced by Frank Rogers. It was released on July 12, 2004 as the lead single to Worley's self-titled third studio album by DreamWorks Nashville. It is his third and last song to top the US Hot Country Songs chart, where it spent two weeks atop that chart in January 2005. It also peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on the Radio & Records Canada Country chart.
"Awful, Beautiful Life" is an up-tempo featuring accompaniment from electric guitar.
The story, told in first person, describes the events of a Sunday in a young family man's life. The main protagonist reluctantly goes to church with his wife, despite having been out with his friends the night before. Later, the family attends a cookout and spends time with other family members. Later, everyone prays for a cousin who has been deployed to Iraq, well aware he may never return home alive. That night, as the protagonist lays in bed, he reflects on his day, thankful for his blessings and summing this all up by stating how he "love[s] this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life."
People magazine noted that "the country singer exhibits an insightful awareness of life's vagaries" on the song, and designated it as the album's recommended download. [1]
Directed by Cameron Casey, this video plays out the events related in the song's lyrics; Worley's participation in the events is interspersed with performance shots of him singing while standing in a field, standing by a fence and in front of a barn, and driving an old red chevy convertible. Near the end of the video, Worley is shown picking up his cousin and drops him off at his house.
"Awful, Beautiful Life" debuted at No. 56 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart the week of July 10, 2004. After a long climb up the chart, the song reached No. 1 the week of January 22, 2005. The song also peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2005.
Chart (2004–2005) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country ( Radio & Records ) [2] | 8 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [3] | 30 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] | 1 |
Chart (2005) | Position |
---|---|
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [5] | 36 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | July 12, 2004 | Country radio | DreamWorks Nashville | [6] |
Darryl Wade Worley is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1999, Worley released four albums for the label: Hard Rain Don't Last (2000), I Miss My Friend (2002), Have You Forgotten? (2003), and Darryl Worley in 2004. After the label closed in 2005, he moved to 903 Music, an independent label owned by Neal McCoy, releasing Here and Now in 2006, shortly before that label's closure. His most recent studio release is 2009's Sounds Like Life via Stroudavarious Records, owned by James Stroud.
Stephen Kyle Holy is an American country music singer. Signed to Curb Records since 1999, he has released three studio albums: 2000's Blue Moon, 2006's Brand New Girlfriend, and 2011's Love Don't Run. Fifteen of his singles have entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the Number One hits "Good Morning Beautiful" and "Brand New Girlfriend".
"Welcome to My Life" is a song by Canadian rock band Simple Plan. "Welcome to My Life" was released to radio on September 14, 2004, as the lead single from their second studio album, Still Not Getting Any... (2004). It peaked at number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number seven in Australia, and number five in New Zealand, their highest charting song there. The song is certified gold in the United States and Italy, and platinum in Australia.
Darryl Worley is the third studio album by the American country music singer Darryl Worley, released on November 2, 2004. Like his previous three albums, it was released on the DreamWorks Records Nashville label. The lead-off single, "Awful, Beautiful Life", became Worley's third and final Number One hit on the Hot Country Songs charts. "If Something Should Happen" made Top Ten on the same chart, while "I Love Her, She Hates Me" peaked at #59. After the latter single was released, DreamWorks was closed, and Worley exited for 903 music, a label started by Neal McCoy.
"Have You Forgotten?" is a song about the September 11 attacks recorded by American country music artist Darryl Worley, who wrote it with Wynn Varble. It was released in March 2003 as the first single and title track from his 2003 compilation album of the same name. It was a number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for seven weeks, reaching it after five weeks on the chart. The song also peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Worley's biggest mainstream hit. On June 30, 2023, Worley released a sequel to this song called "Have We Forgotten".
"Find Out Who Your Friends Are" is a song written by Casey Beathard and Ed Hill, and recorded by American country music artist Tracy Lawrence. It was the lead-off single for his album For the Love, which was released in early 2007 on Rocky Comfort Records, a label which Lawrence owns. The song was originally released to radio stations on August 21, 2006, ahead of its album release on January 30, 2007. The single did not enter the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart until January 2007.
"I Miss My Friend" is a song written by Tom Shapiro, Mark Nesler and Tony Martin, and recorded by American country music singer Darryl Worley. It was released in March 2002 the first single and title track from his album of the same name. The song became his first number one single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It also crossed over to pop radio, peaking at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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"Where Would You Be" is a song by American country music artist Martina McBride, recorded for her Greatest Hits (2001) compilation album. The song was penned by country musician Rachel Proctor and Rick Ferrell and was produced by McBride and Paul Worley. Lyrically, the song speaks of McBride acknowledging her failed relationship and questioning her partner "where he would be" if he wasn't with her. RCA Records Nashville sent the single to country radio on April 22, 2002 as the third single from the compilation.
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Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States since October 20, 2012, although the magazine also retrospectively recognizes the Hot Country Songs charts from January 20, 1990, through October 13, 2012, as part of the history of the Country Airplay listing. The chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored by Nielsen BDS, weighted to each station's Nielsen ratings.
American musician Darryl Worley has released five studio albums, one compilation album, and twenty-three singles. Worley was signed to DreamWorks Records' Nashville division in 2000, releasing his debut album Hard Rain Don't Last that same year. The album accounted for four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. It was followed in 2002 by I Miss My Friend, the title track of which became Worley's first number-one single on Hot Country Songs. He also topped the country charts in 2003 with "Have You Forgotten?", his longest-lasting at seven weeks, and a third and final time with "Awful, Beautiful Life" in early 2005. The former was included on a compilation album of the same name, while the latter appeared on his third and final DreamWorks album, Darryl Worley.