Down in Tennessee
Encyclopedia
"Down in Tennessee" is the title of a song written by Wayland Holyfield
and recorded by American country music artist John Anderson
. It was released in November 1985 as the second single from the album Tokyo, Oklahoma
. The song reached number 12 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
chart.
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that "the heartsick blues are well handled here by an artist who sings ballads with tears in every syllable."
. It was released in June 1995 as the fourth single from the album What a Way to Live
. The song reached number 23 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
chart. It also peaked at number 7 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Chesnutt's version is "just as compelling on this powerful ballad of a man dealing with lost love." She goes on to say that Chesnutt "makes you feel like hurting right along with him."
Wayland Holyfield
Wayland D. Holyfield, , is a prominent American songwriter and leader in the songwriting community.-Early life:Wayland Holyfield was born in Mallettown, Arkansas. He was educated in Arkansas public schools and attended Hendrix College at Conway, Arkansas before graduating from the University of...
and recorded by American country music artist John Anderson
John Anderson (musician)
John David Anderson is an American country music artist with a successful career that has lasted more than 30 years...
. It was released in November 1985 as the second single from the album Tokyo, Oklahoma
Tokyo, Oklahoma (John Anderson album)
-Album:-Singles:...
. The song reached number 12 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart.
Critical reception
Kip Kirby, of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that "the heartsick blues are well handled here by an artist who sings ballads with tears in every syllable."
Chart performance
| Chart (1985-1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 12 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 35 |
Mark Chesnutt version
"Down in Tennessee" was also recorded by American country music artist Mark ChesnuttMark Chesnutt
Mark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...
. It was released in June 1995 as the fourth single from the album What a Way to Live
What a Way to Live
What a Way to Live is the fifth studio album released by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt. His first album for Decca Records, it earned RIAA gold certification in the United States for sales of 500,000 copies...
. The song reached number 23 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. It also peaked at number 7 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price, of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Chesnutt's version is "just as compelling on this powerful ballad of a man dealing with lost love." She goes on to say that Chesnutt "makes you feel like hurting right along with him."
Chart performance
"Down in Tennessee" debuted at number 66 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of June 17, 1995.| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 23 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 7 |