"She Wouldn't Be Gone" is a song written by Jennifer Adan and Cory Batten and recorded by American country music singer Blake Shelton. It was released in August 2008 as the first single from Shelton's 2008 album Startin' Fires. The song became Shelton's fifth number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in February 2009.
| "She Wouldn't Be Gone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Blake Shelton | ||||
| from the album Startin' Fires | ||||
| Released | August 18, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jennifer Adan Cory Batten | |||
| Producer(s) | Scott Hendricks | |||
| Blake Shelton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content
edit"She Wouldn't Be Gone" is a mid-tempo in which the male narrator reflects on his relationship and a lover who has just left him. He expresses regrets over having not attempted to keep her from leaving, saying that if he had tried to keep her (by bringing her flowers, watching sunsets with her, and paying attention to her needs), thinking "maybe she wouldn't be gone".
Co-writer Cory Batten came up with the song's opening line ("Red roadside wildflower, if I had only picked you / Took you home and set you on the counter / Oh, at least a time or two / Maybe she'd have thought it through") after seeing a patch of red wildflowers outside his window.[1] Co-writer Jennifer Adan said that she wanted the song's narrator to have a "feeling of desperation" by realizing after how what he should have done to keep his lover from leaving. When he recorded the song, Shelton said that he had "been able to dump more emotion into that vocal" than any of his previous material.[1]
Critical reception
editBrady Vercher of Engine 145 gave the song a "thumbs down". He stated that "Shelton's phrasing and breathing are awkward enough to not make the song easily memorable or singable, decreasing its chances at chart success."[2] Allmusic's Steve Leggett considered it the strongest track on Startin' Fires, saying that it was "a brilliant portrayal of a man who finally finds his passion and love for a woman when it's way too late and she's already gone, and the chorus swells to passionate, almost white-knuckle perfection. It's a great song and Shelton gives it everything."[3]
Music video
editThe music video was directed by Scott Speer and premiered in late 2008.
Chart positions
edit| Chart (2008–2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country (Billboard)[4] | 7 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] | 70 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 43 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 35 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b Horner, Marianne (2009-04-06). "Story Behind the Song: A Hit Blossoms". Country Weekly. 16 (8): 21.
- ^ Vercher, Brady (2008-08-01). "Blake Shelton - "She Wouldn't Be Gone"". Engine 145. Archived from the original on 2014-12-18. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ Leggett, Steve. "Startin' Fires review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
- ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ "Blake Shelton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ "Best of 2009: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^ "American single certifications – Blake Shelton – She Wouldn't Be Gone". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 10, 2021.