“He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George “The Possom” Jones

The history of country music is a rich one. Since its beginnings, hell raisers and outlaws have been telling us stories about whiskey, women, and woe — and the late, great George Jones was no exception to this fine tradition. His was as sad a voice as you’ll ever hear, and many consider his 1980 hit “He Stopped Loving Her Today” to be the finest country song ever recorded.

Jones’ well-documented life was largely one of wrong turns and trouble, earning him monikers like “The Possum” and “No-Show Jones” that would stick with him until he died. The son of an alcoholic father and a mother with the patience of a saint, Possum never had it easy, even when he should have been on top of the world. His turbulent marriage to Tammy Wynette is the stuff of country music legend, and substance abuse was a demon he almost never conquered.

So it was in 1980 when Possum was approached by producer Bobby Sherrill with the song that would become his greatest hit. The tune, written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putnam, was originally rejected by Jones. His life had become a vivid reflection of the loser ballads he’d been singing for years; his career was tired and flagging, and he understandably didn’t want to record another sad song he thought nobody would ever play.

George Jones, 1981
Credit: billboard.com

Luckily for us, Possum eventually agreed to record the song that would define his legacy and cast his legend in velvet and iron. There will never be another one like him, and his life was an open book that made him a honky-tonk legend for the ages. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” would go on to become his magnum opus and an impossible standard for all those that came after. It went to No.1 on the country charts immediately; won Jones a Grammy; and was named the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year in both 1980 and 1981. Not bad for a has-been drunkard.

The song itself is a melancholy monument to the undying love and devotion of a man whose true love leaves his life, but never his heart:

He said “I’ll love you till I die”
She told him “you’ll forget in time”
As the years went slowly by
She still preyed upon his mind
He kept her picture on his wall
Went half crazy now and then
But he still loved her through it all
Hoping she’d come back again

She did come back, too, but only to say a final goodbye:

He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
And soon they’ll carry him away
He stopped loving her today

You know she came to see him one last time
Oh, and we all wondered if she would
And it kept runnin’ through my mind
This time – he’s over her for good

If you’ve never given the song a good listen, do yourself a favor and take a few minutes now to do so. Even if you’re no fan of country music, the pathos is undeniable, and you may well need a tissue.