You Were Mine
Encyclopedia
"You Were Mine" is a hit song by the Dixie Chicks
, from their 1998 album Wide Open Spaces
. It was released in December 1998, and hit number one on the U.S. Country singles chart, spending two weeks there in March 1999. It also placed 34th on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop singles chart
, and reached third place on Canada's country music chart.
"You Were Mine" was a key factor in the events that brought the Dixie Chicks from near total obscurity to massive commercial success. Based on a recommendation from session musician
and producer
Lloyd Maines
, the summer of 1995 the Erwin sisters invited Maines' daughter Natalie Maines
, to return to her home in Lubbock, Texas
to sing the lead vocal on a demo recording of the song, rather than using the Chicks' actual lead vocalist
Laura Lynch
to sing the part. At the time, the sisters told the other supporting musicians that this was only because Lynch was unavailable due to being out of town on a personal matter. In reality, the recording convinced both Natalie Maines that she would be comfortable singing a more pop
and country rock
focused format of country material (as opposed to their past purer bluegrass focus), and at the same time, confirmed what both sisters had suspected; that Maines had a powerful versatile voice that could complement their instrumental prowess. It led the sisters to remove Lynch and replace her with Maines.
When recording for the first-Maines-era album Wide Open Spaces began, "You Were Mine" was the only song the band was certain would be included. The recording has a solid country music sound. From the start, until the last strains of the song, Maguire's violin
draws out a hushed, somewhat sorrowful tune. A dose of Lloyd Maines' steel guitar
in the background – which also helped establish the record's traditional country categorization – and the mixture of Maines' vocals with the sisters' harmony set a tone of loss and regret.
"You Were Mine" was played during the group's 2000 first-headlining Fly Tour
, where Rolling Stone
called Maines' "powerhouse, nail-it-to-the-wall perfect delivery of [the] achingly beautiful weeper" one of the highlights of the show, but not on subsequent tours.
for "You Were Mine" shows the Dixie Chicks checking into the Gramercy Park Hotel
in New York
. The sisters go up to their rooms looking tired and forlorn, but Maines circles around the revolving door
and walks the neighboring Gramercy streets, singing the song. Occasional views of happier couples and families in the hotel are shown. At the end, Maguire is seen playing the song's final phrase on violin
.
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
, from their 1998 album Wide Open Spaces
Wide Open Spaces
Wide Open Spaces is the major label debut of American country music band the Dixie Chicks, and the fourth studio album overall, released in 1998 . It was their first record with new lead vocalist Natalie Maines, and became their breakthrough commercial success...
. It was released in December 1998, and hit number one on the U.S. Country singles chart, spending two weeks there in March 1999. It also placed 34th on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and reached third place on Canada's country music chart.
History
The song was written by 1995 by two of the founders of the original Dixie Chicks band, the Erwin sisters, who were not strangers to writing music and performing (they are now known as Martie Maguire and Emily Robison). Robison wrote most of the song, and Maguire supplied the bridge. It is a very autobiographical song, about the breakup of Robison's and Maguire's parents and their subsequent divorce. In one interview, when asked about it, Robison said that their parents generally "sweep it under the rug", saying, "They know it's about them, but [whispers] we never talk about it. [laughs] They don't want to bring it up because they're still weird around each other. My dad doesn't want to think it's about him, because it doesn't make him look very good, and my mom thinks she's moved on.""You Were Mine" was a key factor in the events that brought the Dixie Chicks from near total obscurity to massive commercial success. Based on a recommendation from session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Lloyd Maines
Lloyd Maines
Lloyd Maines is an American Grammy Award-winning country music record producer, musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas and is now based in Bulverde, Texas....
, the summer of 1995 the Erwin sisters invited Maines' daughter Natalie Maines
Natalie Maines
Natalie Louise Maines Pasdar is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success as the lead vocalist for the female alternative country band, the Dixie Chicks...
, to return to her home in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
to sing the lead vocal on a demo recording of the song, rather than using the Chicks' actual lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
Laura Lynch
Laura Lynch
Laura Lynch is an American country musician and songwriter, who is best known as a founding member of the all-woman country music band the Dixie Chicks.-Biography:Lynch is a self-proclaimed "Cowgirl". She is an acoustic bassist and single mother...
to sing the part. At the time, the sisters told the other supporting musicians that this was only because Lynch was unavailable due to being out of town on a personal matter. In reality, the recording convinced both Natalie Maines that she would be comfortable singing a more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
focused format of country material (as opposed to their past purer bluegrass focus), and at the same time, confirmed what both sisters had suspected; that Maines had a powerful versatile voice that could complement their instrumental prowess. It led the sisters to remove Lynch and replace her with Maines.
When recording for the first-Maines-era album Wide Open Spaces began, "You Were Mine" was the only song the band was certain would be included. The recording has a solid country music sound. From the start, until the last strains of the song, Maguire's violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
draws out a hushed, somewhat sorrowful tune. A dose of Lloyd Maines' steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
in the background – which also helped establish the record's traditional country categorization – and the mixture of Maines' vocals with the sisters' harmony set a tone of loss and regret.
"You Were Mine" was played during the group's 2000 first-headlining Fly Tour
Fly Tour
The Fly Tour was the Dixie Chicks' 2000 concert tour in over 80 cities in North America in support of their album Fly.-History:Announced in mid-April 2000, this was the Dixie Chicks' first headlining tour. Moreover, the group was jumping directly to playing mostly in arenas...
, where Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called Maines' "powerhouse, nail-it-to-the-wall perfect delivery of [the] achingly beautiful weeper" one of the highlights of the show, but not on subsequent tours.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "You Were Mine" shows the Dixie Chicks checking into the Gramercy Park Hotel
Gramercy Park Hotel
Gramercy Park Hotel is a luxury hotel located at 2 Lexington Avenue, in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, adjacent to Gramercy Park. It is known for its rich history.-History:Gramercy Park Hotel was designed by Robert T...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The sisters go up to their rooms looking tired and forlorn, but Maines circles around the revolving door
Revolving door
A revolving door typically consists of three or four doors that hang on a center shaft and rotate around a vertical axis within a cylindrical enclosure. Revolving doors are energy efficient as they prevent drafts, thus preventing increases in the heating or cooling required for the building...
and walks the neighboring Gramercy streets, singing the song. Occasional views of happier couples and families in the hotel are shown. At the end, Maguire is seen playing the song's final phrase on violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
.
Chart positions
"You Were Mine" debuted at #69 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of December 12, 1998.| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |