“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.”

Introduction

As the strums of a guitar blend with heartfelt lyrics, “This One’s Gonna Hurt You (For a Long, Long Time)” strikes a chord in the annals of country music. The song, a poignant duet performed by Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt, encapsulates the bittersweet essence of love’s aftermath. Its inception in the early 1990s marked a notable collaboration in country music, resonating with listeners who found solace in its melodic honesty.

About The Composition

  • Title: This One’s Gonna Hurt You (For a Long, Long Time)
  • Composer: Marty Stuart
  • Premiere Date: 1992
  • Album/Opus/Collection: From the album “This One’s Gonna Hurt You”
  • Genre: Country

Background

“This One’s Gonna Hurt You” was crafted by Marty Stuart, who also performed it alongside Travis Tritt, symbolizing a significant moment in both artists’ careers. Released as a part of Stuart’s album with the same title, the song delves into the heartache of a promised yet faltering love. Initially received with enthusiasm, it contributed significantly to Stuart’s reputation as a composer and performer, adding depth to his musical exploration of emotional themes. The song’s popularity at the time of its release is a testament to its relatability and the strong performances by both artists.

Musical Style

The song features a blend of traditional country elements with a modern twist, characteristic of early ’90s country music. The guitar-driven arrangement complemented by a harmonica brings an authentic country feel, while the vocal harmonies between Stuart and Tritt highlight the song’s emotional depth. The structure of the duet, allowing both artists to express individual perspectives within a shared narrative, enhances its emotional impact.

Lyrics/Libretto

The lyrics of “This One’s Gonna Hurt You” explore themes of love, regret, and the inevitable pain that often follows a heartfelt commitment gone awry. The interplay between the voices of Stuart and Tritt adds a dramatic layer to the narrative, making the song both a personal confession and a universal truth about romantic relationships.

Performance History

Over the years, the song has enjoyed numerous live performances by both Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt, often highlighted as a key piece in their concerts. Its reception has consistently been positive, with audiences appreciating the song’s lyrical honesty and musical integrity.

Cultural Impact

While primarily a staple in country music, “This One’s Gonna Hurt You” has transcended its genre to influence broader musical narratives and themes in popular culture. Its exploration of love’s complexities and the pain it can inflict echoes in various forms of media, resonating with a diverse audience.

Legacy

The song remains an important part of Marty Stuart’s and Travis Tritt’s musical legacy, cherished by fans for its authenticity and emotional depth. It continues to be relevant, touching new generations of country music lovers who find in its lyrics the timeless truth about love and loss.

Conclusion

“This One’s Gonna Hurt You (For a Long, Long Time)” remains a poignant reminder of the dual nature of love—its capacity to heal and to hurt. Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt’s collaborative effort not only created a memorable musical piece but also a narrative that continues to resonate with listeners. I encourage music enthusiasts to explore this song, diving into its rich emotional layers and appreciating its place in the fabric of country music.

Video

Lyrics

Baby, close that suitcase, let’s turn this thing around
We’ve got everybody talking all over town
But if you have to leave, well keep one thing in mind
Oh this one’s gonna hurt you for a long, long time
There’s a bottle on the table, to help me understand
How love can go so wrong between a woman and a man
But just beyond the door, here’s what you will find
Girl this one’s gonna hurt you for a long, long time

A long, long time is forever
And will I get over you, probably never
You can’t walk away from true love
And leave your feelings all behind
‘Cause this one’s gonna hurt you for a long, long time

A long, long time is forever
And will I get over you, probably never
You can’t walk away from true love
And leave your feelings all behind
‘Cause this one’s gonna hurt you for a long, long time

You can’t walk away from true love
Leave your feelings all behind
Ah this one’s gonna hurt you for a long, long time

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HE WAS ON THE ROAD, TALKING TO HIS WIFE, WHEN HE SAID THE WORDS THAT WOULD TURN INTO A SONG ABOUT A MAN DYING UNDER A BRIDGE. The road had become part of the job. Airports, buses, hotel rooms, soundchecks, another city before the last one had settled in his mind. He tried to reassure her the way people on the road often do. “This is temporary,” he told her. “I’m almost home.” The phrase stayed with him. Later, Morgan and songwriter Kerry Kurt Phillips built a different story around it. Not a road song. Not a love song. A song about a homeless man lying under a bridge, cold and tired, dreaming of a woman named Jenny and a place he can finally reach. “Almost Home” did not sound like a normal radio calculation. The man in the song was not drinking in a bar, driving a truck, or trying to get a girl back. He was dying. The final turn was quiet: the police officer finds him in the morning, but the man has already gone where he believed home really was. Morgan recorded it for his 2003 album I Love It. The song became his breakthrough. It reached the country Top 10, won BMI Song of the Year recognition, and introduced a different side of Craig Morgan to listeners. They knew the soldier. They knew the working-class singer. Now they heard him telling a story about someone most people passed without seeing. Years later, Jelly Roll told Morgan that “Almost Home” had helped him through jail. That may be the strangest part of the song’s life. It began with a husband on the road trying to reassure his wife. It became a dying man’s last dream. Then it reached people in places Craig Morgan could not have imagined when he first said the words into a phone.

AT 70, BILLY JOE SHAVER SHOT A MAN OUTSIDE A TEXAS BAR. THREE YEARS LATER, WILLIE NELSON SAT IN THE COURTROOM WHILE A JURY DECIDED IF HE WOULD GO TO PRISON. By 2007, Billy Joe Shaver had already lived the kind of life that made most outlaw songs sound tame. He had written much of Honky Tonk Heroes for Waylon Jennings. He had buried his wife, his mother, and his son. He had survived a heart attack onstage at Gruene Hall. He was nearly seventy, still playing Texas rooms, still carrying the same hard edge that had made people call him an outlaw even when he preferred another word. Then, on March 31, 2007, he went to Papa Joe’s Texas Saloon in Lorena. Outside the bar, Billy Joe got into an argument with a man named Billy Bryant Coker. Shaver said Coker threatened him with a knife. Witnesses described the confrontation differently. What nobody disputed was what happened next: Billy Joe pulled a .22 pistol and shot Coker in the face. Coker survived. Shaver turned himself in days later. He was charged with aggravated assault, a case that could have sent him to prison for as long as twenty years. The old songwriter who had spent a lifetime turning fights, failures, faith, and bad decisions into songs was suddenly standing inside a Texas courtroom with his own life reduced to testimony, photographs, and one question: had he acted in self-defense? The trial came in April 2010. Willie Nelson was there. Robert Duvall was there too. Duvall testified about Billy Joe’s character and told the jury he did not believe Shaver would have fired unless he thought his life was in danger. Willie sat through the proceedings as the case moved toward its verdict. Then the jury came back. Not guilty. Billy Joe walked out of the courthouse without prison waiting behind him. He was seventy years old when the shooting happened. He had spent three years carrying the charge. And after the verdict, he went back to doing what Billy Joe Shaver always did when life nearly broke open around him. He kept moving. Most singers spend their final years protecting the legend. Billy Joe Shaver spent his standing in a courtroom while two old friends watched a jury decide whether the road had finally caught him.

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