Guess Things Happen That Way
| "Guess Things Happen That Way" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Cash | ||||
| from the album Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous | ||||
| Released | May 19, 1958 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1:52 | |||
| Label | Sun | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jack Clement | |||
| Producer(s) |
Sam Phillips Jack Clement | |||
| Johnny Cash singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Guess Things Happen That Way" is a 1958 cross over single by Johnny Cash, which was written by Jack Clement. The single [2] was Johnny Cash's fourth number one on the country chart spending eight weeks at number one and a total of twenty-four weeks on the chart.[3]
The B-side of "Guess Things Happen That Way", a song entitled, "Come In Stranger" made it to number six on the country chart. The single also crossed over to the pop chart, peaking at number eleven.[4]
Pop singer June Valli had a minor revival of the song in 1961. Her version peaked at #92 in the Music Vendor Top 100.
On February 25, 2010, the song, purchased by grandfather and Woodstock, Georgia native Louie Sulcer, became the 10 billionth download through the Apple iTunes Store.[5]
Content
The song is about a man struggling after the love of his life has left him.
Critical reception
As Allmusic describes it, the song "featured an arrangement dominated by piano and a vocal chorus adding distinctive 'ba-doo's throughout [that is] ...slicker than, say, "Cry! Cry! Cry!" or "I Walk the Line" [but with] an eccentric tone all its own — largely because the vocal chorus (who sound as if they're occupying a middle ground between doo wop and barbershop quartet) is in such stark contrast to Cash's lead vocal."[2]
Chart performance
| Chart (1958) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 11 |
Covers
- Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers on At the Ryman
References
- ↑ Richard Aquila. "That Old-time Rock & Roll: A Chronicle of an Era, 1954-1963". Books.google.com. p. 106. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- 1 2 Deming, Mark. "Guess Things Happen That Way". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 74.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 110.
- ↑ Kreps, Daniel (February 25, 2010). "iTunes Prize Winner to Steve Jobs: Yeah Right, Who Is This Really?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
- ↑ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ↑ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
