"Everything I Love" is the title of a country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 song written by Harley Allen

Harley Allen

Harley Lee Allen was an American bluegrass and country singer and songwriter.-Early life:He was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of the bluegrass performer Red Allen.-Film career:...

 and Carson Chamberlain

Carson Chamberlain

Carson Chamberlain is an American songwriter, record producer and steel guitarist who works mainly in the field of country music....

. It was recorded by American singer Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson

Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...

 on his album of the same name

Everything I Love

Everything I Love is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on October 29, 1996 and produced six singles for Jackson on the Hot Country Songs charts: the Number One hits "Little Bitty" and "There Goes", Top Ten hits in the title track, "Between the...

. Jackson released the song in January 1997 as the second single from the album, reaching number 9 on the U.S. country singles charts with it.

Content

"Everything I Love" is a mid-tempo ballad where the narrator lists off various vices that are harmful to him, such as "cigarettes, Jack Daniels and caffeine." He then adds his former lover to the list, before saying "Everything I love / I'm gonna have to give up / 'Cause everything I love is killin' me." The song was written by Harley Allen

Harley Allen

Harley Lee Allen was an American bluegrass and country singer and songwriter.-Early life:He was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of the bluegrass performer Red Allen.-Film career:...

 and Carson Chamberlain, who also wrote "Between the Devil and Me

Between the Devil and Me

"Between the Devil and Me" is the title of a country music song co-written by Harley Allen and Carson Chamberlain. It was recorded by American singer Alan Jackson on his 1996 album Everything I Love, from which it was released in late 1997 as the album's fifth single. It peaked at number two on the...

", the album's fifth single.

Critical reception

In his review of Everything I Love, Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...

cited the track as a standout, saying that it had a "wry sardonic streak" and "classic country sentiment."

Chart performance

"Everything I Love" debuted at number 73 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of January 18, 1997.

Chart (1997)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	9
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	6