“He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones
— Friday, March 25th, 2011 —
This is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of country music songs. On this week’s episode of “The Cross and the Jukebox,” we’ll listen to the Possum sing and then talk about some themes found in this great old song. We’ll discuss a Christian view of love, jealousy, and the relationship of love and death.
My wife said when she was a child, she thought the line was “…they placed a wreath upon his dog…” and she never could understand why they put a wreath on his dog. Haa haa
@Joe Blackmon, I was probably seven or eight when this song came out, and I totally missed that the guy had died. (To “carry” somebody was sometimes slang for giving them a ride.) I imagined some guy had just decided to quit loving her, was all dressed up to go away, and was waiting for his friends to give him a ride. :)
@Joe Blackmon, That is hilarious. I knew someone who thought Juice Newton’s “Just Touch My Cheek Before You Leave Me” in “Angel of the Morning” was “Just Crunch My Teeth Before You Leave Me.”
The Cross and the Jukebox is something I look forward to very much every Friday. Thanks for doing it Dr. Moore.
@Michael Beck, Thank you for that encouragement!
I, too, eagerly look forward to the Cross and the Jukebox every week. Not only am I a country music fan, I’m a fellow Mississippian — though a few years (well, maybe more than a few) your senior. Thanks so much for making this podcast available.
@Linda Whitlock, I appreciate that Linda. Salute to a fellow Mississippian!
Great podcast, Dr. Moore. I like the distinction you make between jealousy and envy; it helps clear up the confusion some people have when they come to the verses that speak of God as a “jealous God”. Listening to this brought to mind the book, ‘A Severe Mercy’ by Sheldon Vanauken - another story of intense love and longing, with an insightful analysis (by C.S. Lewis) in the end.
@Susan Stilley, Thanks for that recommendation!
Hey Dr. Moore, I really enjoyed this broadcast too. I’m wondering - was George Jones subtly presenting a view of the “permanence view” of marriage in this song? ;)
Dr. Moore, you have once again proved your taste in music to be top-notch. You’re right about the song and the singer. It’s like the old saying goes, “If you wanna know how to live a life, read the Bible. If you wanna know how to sing a country song, listen to George Jones.” At least I think that’s a saying and, if not, it should be. On a separate note, I greatly appreciated your recent sermon at Sojourn on Romans 8:12-17. Great sermon. Great church. You may not be surprised to know we don’t sing many Possum songs there, which is my only disappointment in an otherwise great church body. Lastly, you do know, I hope, that there is a interesting little song called “George Jones and Jesus.”
As I see it, it’s not a sad song in that, at the end, there is peace. He was in pain, and ” … oh, but I didn’t see no tears. All dressed up to go away. First time I’ve seen him smile in years ” and then ” This time, he’s over her for good ” . The years of heartache and heartbreak have passed. Quite an apt analogy for life, I’d say.