"Between the Devil and Me" is a song written by Harley Allen and Carson Chamberlain, and recorded by American country music singer Alan Jackson. It was released in October 1997 as the fifth single from his album Everything I Love. It peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard country singles charts, behind Martina McBride's "A Broken Wing".
| "Between the Devil and Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Alan Jackson | ||||
| from the album Everything I Love | ||||
| B-side | "Walk on the Rocks" | |||
| Released | October 6, 1997 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:21 | |||
| Label | Arista Nashville 13106 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Harley Allen Carson Chamberlain | |||
| Producer(s) | Keith Stegall | |||
| Alan Jackson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content
edit"Between the Devil and Me" was written by Harley Allen and Carson Chamberlain, the same two songwriters who wrote the title track to Everything I Love. The song is a mid-tempo ballad in which the male narrator describes the sexual temptation of an extramarital affair,[1] by saying that "she's all I see / Between the devil and me."
Critical reception
editStephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that although the song had "a bit of post-Garth bombast" and "touches on the anthemic sounds of modern country", it still had Jackson's "true country spin and heart."[2] Entertainment Weekly critic Alanna Nash also cited the song as a standout, saying that Jackson made the song "throb with anxiety."[1]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1997–1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[3] | 3 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 2 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5] | 40 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 66 |
References
edit- ^ a b Nash, Alanna (November 1, 1996). "Everything I Love review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Everything I Love review". Allmusic. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3430." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. January 19, 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1998". RPM. December 14, 1998. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ "Best of 1998: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
