A friend of mine suggested I learn Randy Travis’s version of “Forever and Ever, Amen,” and being as it was a song I already had thought of learning, it seemed like a good fit for my next song study. This #1 hit was written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz^[1], a duo with an impressive songwriting resume. Another #1 the duo penned together is Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing at All,” which I swear has been stuck in my head ever since rediscovering it as I was learning “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”

From the religious “Amen” at the end of the chorus to the theme of a playboy straightened out after meeting the right woman, “Forever and Ever, Amen” is full of emotional hooks aimed right at the country and western audience. Can you imagine the girls hearing young Randy Travis telling them he’s going to love them even after their hair falls out? I imagine there was more than one who couldn’t handle it. Even Dolly Parton seemed pretty smitten when Randy came onto the scene.

One of the things about this song that I’ve found notable is just how smooth it is. It comes in, runs its verse-chorus, verse-chorus course, repeats the last line, and is over. There isn’t too much in the way of dynamics. Or there is a lot, from the electric guitar, dobro and steel to the background vocals, but they’re so subtle in relation to the bopping backbeat that it feels pretty one-level. Yet its story, its singalongability and Randy’s delivery just sold it all the way.

One interesting thing I noticed in this song is that one of the hooks involves a change to the II chord in the verse.  I feel like those slightly-less-than-expected changes really work to make a melody that’s interesting and holds the listeners’ attention. I tend to write from the vocal melody first, just filling the accompaniment chords in as support for the melody I’ve dreamed up. I wonder, though, if throwing a II or a VII chord into the mix in the middle of a verse might help out the melody and the song.

Anyway, here’s a pretty rough cut of “Forever and Ever, Amen.”

So here’s Steve Goodman’s other hit song. The only recording I have of it is from a David Allan Coe’s Live at Billy Bob’s Texas record, and its arrangement is barely strung together between the verses, the crowd singing, the raucous choruses and a story in the middle of it, so I took the liberty of trimming it a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I think the story of Steve Goodman going back and adding the last verse is a good one, but I don’t think it makes sense to re-tell it. I also dropped the third verse and a chorus for brevity’s sake.

Three chords and a country music joke take this song pretty far. It’s not hard to play, but like any of ‘em so far, it took several attempts to get a passable take. It’s got some good sing-along hooks that every Texan knows by heart, and does an excellent job of rolling all the country and western clichés into one song. Anyway, I’ve already given you the skinny on Steve Goodman and David Allan Coe, so I’ll cut to it: