That's the Way Love Goes (Johnny Rodriguez song)

Last updated
"That's the Way Love Goes"
Single by Johnny Rodriguez
from the album All I Ever Meant to Do Was Sing
B-side "I Really Don't Want to Know"
ReleasedDecember 1973
Genre Country
Label Mercury
Songwriter(s) Lefty Frizzell
Sanger D. Shafer
Producer(s) Jerry Kennedy
Johnny Rodriguez singles chronology
"Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico"
(1973)
"That's the Way Love Goes"
(1973)
"Something"
(1974)
"That's the Way Love Goes"
Single by Merle Haggard
from the album That's the Way Love Goes
B-side "Don't Seem Like We've Been Together All Our Lives"
ReleasedNovember 19, 1983
Genre Country
Length3:04
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Lefty Frizzell, Sanger D. Shafer
Producer(s) Merle Haggard
Ray Baker
Merle Haggard singles chronology
"What Am I Gonna Do (With the Rest of My Life)"
(1983)
"That's the Way Love Goes"
(1983)
"Someday When Things Are Good"
(1984)

"That's the Way Love Goes' is a song written by Lefty Frizzell and Sanger D. Shafer. It was recorded by Lefty and included on his album The Legendary, hailed as one of the greatest country albums of all time, released on September 18, 1973. The following year it was released as the b-side of his single I Never Go Around Mirrors., [1] and was later included in compilation albums. It was also released in December 1973 by American country music artist Johnny Rodriguez as the second single from the album All I Ever Meant to Do Was Sing. The song was Rodriguez's fourth hit on the U.S. country chart and third number one in a row. The single stayed at number one for one week and spent a total of 14 weeks on the chart. [2]

Contents

Cover versions

Connie Smith recorded the song and made it the title track of her 1974 album That's the Way Love Goes .

Merle Haggard released the song in November 1983 as the second and title track from his album That's the Way Love Goes . Haggard's version was his 30th number one single. His version spent 21 weeks on the charts and won him that year's Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance — Male. [3] He charted a second rendition of the song in 1999 as a duet with Jewel, taking this version to #56 on the country charts. [3]

In 2019, Crystal Gayle covered the song on her You Don't Know Me album. Ronnie Dunn then recorded his own cover for his 2020 release Re-Dunn , and Alan Jackson covered the song on his 2021 album, Where Have You Gone .

Chart performance

Johnny Rodriguez

Chart (1973–1974)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks2

Merle Haggard

Chart (1983–1984)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [5] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1

Merle Haggard and Jewel

Chart (1999)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [5] 56
Canadian RPM Country Tracks71

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merle Haggard</span> American singer-songwriter (1937–2016)

Merle Ronald Haggard was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.

<i>Pancho & Lefty</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson

Pancho & Lefty by Townes Van Zandt (1972) became well-known through a honky tonk album by outlaw country musicians Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, released in 1983. Original vinyl copies from 1983 give the album's title as "Poncho & Lefty" on the cover, as well as on the inner sleeve and the record label; the album's title track is similarly rendered "Poncho & Lefty" on the cover, inner sleeve, and label. Later editions correct the title to the intended "Pancho & Lefty.” They are backed by Don Markham of The Strangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lefty Frizzell</span> American country singer-songwriter (1928–1975)

William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell was an American country and honky-tonk singer-songwriter.

"Pancho and Lefty", originally "Poncho and Lefty", is a song written by American country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Perhaps his most well-known song, Van Zandt recorded his original version of this song for his 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. The song has been recorded by several artists since its composition and performance by Van Zandt, with a 1983 version by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard reaching number one on the Billboard country chart. In 2021, Van Zandt's version was ranked number 498 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

"Almost Persuaded" is a song written by Glenn Sutton and Epic Records producer Billy Sherrill and first recorded by David Houston in 1966. It is not to be confused with the Christian hymn of the same name.

Sanger D. Shafer, better known as Whitey Shafer, was an American country songwriter and musician. He wrote numerous hits for stars such as George Jones, Lefty Frizzell, and George Strait. He was also a recording artist. His highest single "You Are a Liar", under the name Whitey Shafer, reached No. 48 on the Billboard country chart, in 1981.

<i>The Way I Am</i> (Merle Haggard album) 1980 studio album by Merle Haggard

The Way I Am is the thirtieth studio album by American country music artist Merle Haggard, released in 1980.

"Always Late (with Your Kisses)" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Lefty Frizzell. It was the fifth single released from his 1951/1952 album Listen to Lefty. It peaked at number one in 1951 and became his fourth release to hit the top.

<i>If We Make It Through December</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Merle Haggard and The Strangers

If We Make It Through December is the sixteenth studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1974. It reached number 4 on the Billboard country album charts. The title track was previously released on Haggard's Christmas release of 1973, A Christmas Present. The single spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in December 1973 and January 1974, and cracked the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. "If We Make It Through December" was the No. 2 song of the year on Billboard's Hot Country Singles 1974 year-end chart.

<i>Keep Movin On</i> 1975 studio album by Merle Haggard and The Strangers

Keep Movin' On is the eighteenth studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers released in 1975. It reached number one on the Billboard country albums chart. "Movin' On" was a full-length version of a song Haggard recorded as the theme song to the TV series Movin' On.

<i>The Roots of My Raising</i> 1976 studio album by Merle Haggard and The Strangers

The Roots of My Raising is the twenty-first studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1976. It was his third release in 1976 and his last on the Capitol label until his return in 2004. It reached number 8 on the Billboard country albums chart.

"The Roots of My Raising" is a song written by Tommy Collins, and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in January 1976 as the first single and title track from the album The Roots of My Raising. The song was Merle Haggard and The Strangers twenty-third number one on the country chart. The single spent one week at number one and a total of ten weeks on the country chart.

<i>Thats the Way Love Goes</i> (Merle Haggard album) 1983 studio album by Merle Haggard

That's the Way Love Goes is the thirty-eighth studio album by the American country music singer Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers, released in 1983.

"If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" is a debut song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Lefty Frizzell, released on September 14, 1950. The song is the second song recorded by Lefty Frizzell during his first session with Columbia Records in July 1950. The song rose to number one.

"I Always Get Lucky With You" is a song written by Merle Haggard, Freddy Powers, Gary Church, and Tex Whitson. It was first recorded by Haggard on his 1981 album Big City and then covered by American country music artist George Jones in April 1983 as the second single from the album Shine On. The song was Jones' ninth and final number one on the country chart as a solo artist. The single stayed at number one for one week and spent thirteen weeks on the country chart.

"Someday When Things Are Good' is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard. It was released in March 1984 as the third single from his album That's the Way Love Goes. The song was Haggard's thirty-first number one country single as a solo artist. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart. Haggard wrote the song with then-wife Leona Williams.

"Making Believe" is a country music song written by Jimmy Work. Kitty Wells recorded a chart-topping version in 1955. The song is on many lists of all-time greatest country music songs and has been covered by scores of artists over the past fifty years, including Thorleifs, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Don Gibson, Roy Acuff, Lefty Frizzell, Wanda Jackson, Connie Francis, Ray Charles, Anita Carter, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, The Kendalls, Ernest Tubb, Skeeter Davis, The Haden Triplets, Social Distortion and Volbeat. The song is occasionally called "Makin' Believe".

"Running Kind" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in January 1978 as the second and final single from the album, A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today. The song peaked at number 12 on the U.S. country singles chart and at number 10 on the Canadian country singles chart. The song was later covered by Radney Foster for the Haggard tribute album Mama's Hungry Eyes: A Tribute to Merle Haggard. Foster's version was released as a single in 1994 and peaked at number 64 on the U.S. country singles chart. Johnny Cash also covered the song with Tom Petty on the Unearthed box set.

"She's Gone Gone Gone" is a country music song written by Harlan Howard and originally recorded by American singer Lefty Frizzell. Frizzell's version of the song reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"You, Babe" is a song recorded by American country music artist Lefty Frizzell. It was released in August 1972 as a single only. The song reached #59 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The song was written by Sanger D. Shafer.

References

  1. "Lefty Frizzell – I Never Go Around Mirrors / That's The Way Love Goes". Discogs.com.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 358. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
  3. 1 2 Whitburn, p. 175
  4. "Johnny Rodriguez Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. 1 2 "Merle Haggard Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.