Carrying Your Love with Me (song)

Last updated
"Carrying Your Love with Me"
Strait - Carrying Your Love cover.jpg
Single by George Strait
from the album Carrying Your Love with Me
B-side "I've Got a Funny Feeling"
ReleasedMay 22, 1997
RecordedSeptember 23, 1996 [1]
Genre Neotraditional country [2]
Length
  • 3:50 (album version)
  • 3:07 (single edit)
Label MCA Nashville
Songwriter(s) Steve Bogard
Jeff Stevens
Producer(s) Tony Brown
George Strait [3]
George Strait singles chronology
"One Night at a Time"
(1997)
"Carrying Your Love with Me"
(1997)
"Today My World Slipped Away"
(1997)

"Carrying Your Love with Me" is a song written by Steve Bogard and Jeff Stevens, and performed by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in May 1997 as the second single and title track from his album of the same name. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The track was also voted by website Country Universe as number 200 of the top 400 greatest songs of the 1990s. [4] "Carrying Your Love with Me" was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards.

Contents

Content

The song is about a man who has to leave home for periods of time, though he carries the love of his significant other with him wherever he is. Memorable lyrics include the opening line, "Baby all I got is this beat up leather bag, and everything I own don't fill up half." Another notable line is in the chorus which includes the title of the song, "I'm carrying your love with me, West Virginia down to Tennessee." [5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Christopher Cain, and premiered on CMT on May 26, 1997 as its "Hot Shot Video of the Week". The video begins in black-and-white, where Strait walks into an empty auditorium, with an old leather bag at his side. The scene switches from black-and-white to color, Strait puts the leather bag down, looks directly into the camera, and began to sing. The video has scenes that relate to the lyrics of the song and keeps with the context of Strait being away from home and missing his significant other. The scenes include Strait walking along a highway, hitching a ride with a truck driver, standing in the rain, and missing his significant other back home as a couple on a motorcycle ride by and it shows the clouds, the waters, and the sun, and it shows Strait walking with a truck, during the instrumental break, he drives the truck into the water, and shows him walking down the road, The video ends with Strait picking up the leather bag from the beginning of the video, and leaving an empty auditorium, as the scene switched back to black-and-white. The singer joined Vevo on May 11, 2009. [6]

Significance

"Carrying Your Love with Me" contributed to the overall success of Strait's album of the same name. It was Strait's 21st release with record company MCA Nashville. At the time the singer had been with the label for 15 years. [2] Although many critics argue that the track was nothing new from the country music alum, it was still a success. Many reviewers stated that during a time of pop country and big revenue stars such as Shania Twain and Garth Brooks, Strait along with his album (and song) "Carrying Your Love with Me" kept country music relevant. [5] In April 1998 on All Things Considered , Jacki Lyden and country music DJ Tom Rivers discussed the appeal of country music. Using the track as an example, Rivers stated that country music is relatable because it speaks of common occurrences such as heartache and missing loved ones. The two deejays specifically mention the track "Carrying Your Love with Me" and use it as an ideal example. [7]

In July 2022, the song regained popularity through singer David Morris in his song "Carrying Your Love", a country rap song which contains an altered sample of the chorus. This song went viral on TikTok that month. [8]

Reviews

The overall views for the track are positive. Many reviewers approve of the traditional country sound of the track. [2] George Strait makes it very clear that he is not a songwriter, [9] and many critics praise his ability to choose hit songs such as "Carrying Your Love with Me". Music critic Tony Brown stated that it is "unlikely that anyone in country music has a better ear for songs.". [2] Miriam Longino, writing for the Atlantic Constitution, gave the track and the album as a whole an A minus. [5] Another notable review came from music critic Alexander Wiley. He stated that "Carrying Your Love with Me" was another "crown jewel from the king of country music". [3] Critic Chet Flippo, writing for Billboard , gave a positive review stating that the track and tone of Strait's voice is reminiscent of traditional country music. [10]

Chart positions

Chart (1997)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [11] 1
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [12] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [13] 12
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [14] 3

Certifications

Certifications for Carrying Your Love with Me
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [15] 2× Platinum2,000,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png

Double-dagger-14-plain.png Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Kenny Chesney album) 2000 greatest hits album by Kenny Chesney

Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by American country music artist Kenny Chesney, released on September 26, 2000, on BNA Records. It features hits from his previous albums, as well as newly recorded tracks. Two of the new tracks — "I Lost It" and "Don't Happen Twice" — were issued as singles. Also released from this album was a re-recording of his 1994 single "The Tin Man". Greatest Hits has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over four million copies in the United States.

<i>Carrying Your Love with Me</i> 1997 studio album by George Strait

Carrying Your Love with Me is the seventeenth studio album by the American country music artist George Strait, released in 1997. It was released by MCA Nashville and it produced four singles for Strait on the Billboard country charts. "One Night at a Time", the title track, and "Round About Way", respectively the first, second, and fourth singles, all reached Number One, while "Today My World Slipped Away" reached #3. Eddie Kilgallon, then a member of the band Ricochet, co-wrote "One Night at a Time". The album has been certified 3× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for shipping three million copies in the U.S. "Carrying Your Love with Me" was nominated for Best Country Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Gets Me Every Time</span> 1997 single by Shania Twain

"Love Gets Me Every Time" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain. It was written by Twain along with her then husband Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and produced by Lange. It was released on September 23, 1997, by Mercury Records Nashville as the lead single from Twain's third studio album Come On Over (1997). It was chosen as such following weeks of careful deliberation and constant reconsidering. Originally titled "'Gol Darn Gone and Done It", the song's title was altered because of its difficulty to pronounce. The song regards falling in love despite numerous attempts to evade it. It is an uptempo number that prominently features fiddle.

"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1949. The song has been covered by a wide range of musicians.

<i>Treasures</i> (Dolly Parton album) 1996 studio album by Dolly Parton

Treasures is the thirty-fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 24, 1996, by Rising Tide Records and Blue Eye Records. The Steve Buckingham-produced album is made up of covers of rock and country hits from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned three singles: "Just When I Needed You Most", which peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart; a dance remix of "Peace Train", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Dance Music chart; and a dance remix of "Walking on Sunshine". The album's release was accompanied by a CBS television special, Dolly Parton: Treasures.

"Murder on Music Row" is a 1999 song written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell, and originally recorded by American bluegrass group Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, as the title track from their album Murder on Music Row. It gained fame soon after that when it was recorded as a duet between American country music artists George Strait and Alan Jackson. The song laments the rise of country pop and the accompanying decline of the traditional country music sound; it refers to Music Row, an area in Nashville, Tennessee considered the epicenter of the country music industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rumor Has It (Clay Walker song)</span> 1997 single by Clay Walker

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Night at a Time</span> 1997 single by George Strait

"One Night at a Time" is a song written by Roger Cook, Eddie Kilgallon, and Earl Bud Lee, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in March 1997 as the first single from his album Carrying Your Love with Me. The song reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

"Amarillo by Morning" is a country music song written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser, and recorded in a country pop style by Stafford as a single in 1973 to minor success. The song would be popularized in a fiddle-based Western rendition by Texas neotraditionalist George Strait in 1982.

"Round About Way" is a song written by Steve Dean and Wil Nance, and recorded by the American country music singer George Strait. It was released in January 1998 as the fourth and final single from his CD Carrying Your Love With Me. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>Let Me In</i> (Chely Wright album) 1997 studio album by Chely Wright

Let Me In is the third studio album by American country music artist Chely Wright. The album was released on September 9, 1997 on MCA Nashville Records and was produced by Tony Brown. Let Me In was Wright's first album to chart on the Billboard Magazine album charts and also spawned her first Top 40 singles. It was also the first of three albums Wright recorded for the MCA Nashville label.

"You Can't Make a Heart Love Somebody" is a song written by Johnny MacRae and Steve Clark, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in December 1994 as the second single from his album Lead On.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerosene (song)</span> 2005 single by Miranda Lambert

"Kerosene" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. It was released in September 2005 as the third single and title-track to her debut album of the same name. It reached number 15 on the Hot Country Songs chart, Lambert's first Top 20 country hit. It also peaked at number 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The working title of the song was "Kerosene ".

"Carried Away" is a song written by Steve Bogard and Jeff Stevens and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in June 1996 as the second single from Strait's 1996 album Blue Clear Sky. In August of that year, it became Strait's 30th number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart. The song was one of two George Strait songs to be nominated for Single of the Year at the 1997 Country Music Association awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Clear Sky (song)</span> 1996 single by George Strait

"Blue Clear Sky" is a song written by Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard and Mark D. Sanders, and performed by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in March 1996 as the first single and title track from Strait's album of the same name. "Blue Clear Sky" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee at Emerald Studios. The song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Cross My Heart</span> Country song

"I Cross My Heart" is a song written by Steve Dorff and Eric Kaz, and performed by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in September 1992 as the first single to his album Pure Country, which is also the soundtrack to the movie of the same title. It reached number-one in both the United States and Canada. The song is featured as the movie's finale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rest of Mine</span> 1997 single by Trace Adkins

"The Rest of Mine" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Trace Adkins. It was released in September 1997 as the first single from his album Big Time. His fifth entry on the Billboard country charts, it peaked at number 4 and number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Today My World Slipped Away</span>

"Today My World Slipped Away" is a song co-written and first recorded by American country music artist Vern Gosdin. Gosdin's version was released in October 1982 as the fifth single and title track from his album Today My World Slipped Away. Gosdin's version reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. George Strait released a cover of the song in September 1997 as the third single from his album Carrying Your Love with Me. Strait's version reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in November 1997. Gosdin wrote the song with Mark Wright.

"I'd Rather Ride Around with You" is a song written by Tim Nichols and Mark D. Sanders, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released on March 4, 1997 as the third single from her album What If It's You. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July 1997, behind "Carrying Your Love with Me" by George Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Jones and Tammy Wynette discography</span>

The discography of American country artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette contains the recordings they made as a vocal duo. Their discography includes nine studio albums, 14 compilation albums, 15 singles and one music video. In October 1971, the duo's first studio album was released by Epic Records and was titled We Go Together. It peaked at number three on the American Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 169 on the Billboard 200 list. Included on the disc was the duo's first single, "Take Me". It reached the top ten on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the top 20 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It was followed by their second studio album called Me and the First Lady, which charted at number six on the Billboard country list. Featured on the disc was their second top ten single, "The Ceremony".

References

  1. Latest Greatest Sraitest Hits (CD). George Strait. MCA Nashville. 2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Flippo, Chet. "Albums: Country."
  3. 1 2 Alexander, Wiley. "'Carrying Your Love' Another Hit, by George,"
  4. "Country Universe – A Country Music Blog » 400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #200-#176." Accessed January 28, 2013. http://www.countryuniverse.net/2010/08/02/400-greatest-singles-of-the-nineties-200-176/.
  5. 1 2 3 Longino, Miriam. "HOME ENTERTAINMENT; THE LATEST IN MUSIC, VIDEOS AND BOOKS; CD OF THE WEEK; NEW MUSIC; COUNTRY; Grade: A- 'Carrying Your Love with Me' George Strait. MCA. 10 Tracks." The Atlanta Constitution (April 18, 1997): 04G.
  6. George Strait - Carrying Your Love with Me - YouTube. Accessed February 1, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH4YI1faPwU.
  7. Lyden, Jacki, and Tom Rivers. All Things Considered Country DJ. National Public Radio, April 26, 1998.
  8. "Why George Strait's 'Carrying Your Love With Me' is Going Viral". The Boot. July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  9. George Strait Wins Album of the Year For "Carrying Your Love with Me" - ACM Awards 1998 - YouTube. Accessed February 1, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=449_-7UZFRs.
  10. Flippo, Chet. " Strait Music: George Strait Carries on with Traditional Country, Top-notch Songs on `Carrying Your Love with Me'."
  11. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3284." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. July 28, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  12. "George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  13. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1997". RPM . December 15, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  14. "Best of 1997: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  15. "American single certifications – George Strait – Carrying Your Love with Me". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 10, 2022.