"Why Lady Why" is a song by the 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...

 band Alabama

Alabama (band)

Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...

. Written by Rick Scott and band member Teddy Gentry, the song was released in 1980

1980 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1980.- Events :* January 25 — At age 84, octogenerian comedian George Burns becomes by far the oldest performer to have a single in the top 40 of Billboards Hot Country Singles chart with "I Wish I Was 18 Again." The...

, and eventually became the group's second No. 1 song on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles

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.

This ballad is part of the band's first RCA album, My Home's in Alabama

My Home's in Alabama (album)

My Home's in Alabama is an album by American country music band Alabama, released on RCA Records in 1980. For a majority of fans, this represents the first widespread success of Alabama, despite the fact that they had released three albums before this one....

.

History

Originally, "Why Lady Why" was issued as the B-side to the song "My Home's in Alabama

My Home's in Alabama (song)

"My Home's in Alabama" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Written by Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry, the song was released in 1980 and served as the title track to Alabama's first album for RCA Records....

," released by MDJ Records in January 1980. The song later was issued as a single in its own right in August 1980. The B-side: "I Wanna Come Over," the band's first Top 40 hit.

Single and album versions

The single

Radio edit

In music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...

 and album versions are noticeably different. The single version — which is included on Alabama's For the Record

For the Record

For the Record is a two-disc, 44-track greatest hits package released by the American country music band Alabama.The album chronicles the biggest hits from Alabama released between 1980 and 1998. The lineup includes all 33 of their Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks No...

— can be distinguished by a shorter introduction, abridged or deleted musical interludes

Bridge (music)

In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...

 and an edited musical outro. The original album version is part of Alabama's 1986 Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits (Alabama album)

Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits package released by the American country music band Alabama. The album was released on RCA Records in 1986, and has since been certified platinum for sales of 5 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.By the mid-1980s, Alabama had...

album.

Chart performance

Chart (1980)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	3