Second Greatest County Song (the finale)

I promised you the answer to the question “What is the Second Greatest Country and Western Song” — broadly defined — of all time, and after 10 days and an avalanche of public input here’s the answer, along with 18 other picks to round out my Top 20.
It should be noted that I have limited myself to one song per artist as a singer. (A writer can appear more than once.) That made for some tough decisions, but it forced me to look at a wider selection of songs as well.
20. “Side of the Road” by Lucinda Williams. The enormously talented Williams was finding her stride when she wrote this.
19. “Galveston” by Glen Campbell. I hate that overly slick 1960s country sound, but Jimmy Webb wrote this so well it couldn’t be ruined.
17. “I Can’t Be Myself” by Katy Moffat. You probably never heard of her but Moffat takes this fantastic Merle Haggard song and wraps it around her soul.
16. Speaking of Merle, how do you pick just one of his songs? “Mama Tried” gets a long look, but let’s say “What Am I Gonna Do” for argument’s sake.
15. Delbert McClinton wrote “Two More Bottles of Wine” and he does it justice, but Emmylou Harris made it hers. Go with that magical version.
14. I am not the biggest Willie Nelson fan in the world, but his take on the Townes Van Zandt song “Marie” is powerful. One of the greatest “common man” songs ever written. Is it country? Close enough.
13. Van Zandt is back and I’ll give his rough-as-a-cob version of “Pancho and Lefty” the nod here. Great music isn’t always about singing pretty ...
12. .... as Steve Earle knows. Another songwriter/singer with a tremendous list to choose from, Earle makes it here with his graceful “Fort Worth Blues.” “Copperhead Road” is his greatest concoction, but it fits better on another list.
11. You may have noticed that I lean toward the sad tunes. A college friend called ‘em “dead daddy songs.” One of the best is Dwight Yoakam’s “I Sang Dixie.” Every Southern man should know this one.
10. Guy Clark has written some of the best songs ever. He is a giant and no list would be complete without him being included. I planned to put “L.A. Freeway” here, but at the last second the mournful “Desperadoes Waiting for a Train” could not be denied.
9. Steve Goodman joked about writing the greatest country and western song ever but he actually wrote one that deserves to be in the running. How can you listen to “City of New Orleans” and not want to hop a freight?”
8. Here’s one nobody else mentioned and everybody else should have. “Mr. Bojangles” HAS to be on any serious list of this type. I saw Jerry Jeff Walker play it in Virginia and a Smithsonian Institute crew filmed his performance of it for the national archives. That’s pretty good.
7. One of the fun things about this series of columns has been listening to old songs. Nothing I heard was more than a fraction better than “For the Good Times” by Ray Price. Perfect.
6. My daughter is not yet 4 and already knows most of the words to “Long Black Veil.” Recently she asked about it, “Daddy, that woman still loves that man up in heaven, doesn’t she?” What a kid! Let’s go with the version by the Seldom Scene.
5. Johnny Cash was The Man. “Sunday Morning Coming Down” was The Man at his simple, powerful best.
4. Charlie Waller of the Country Gentlemen may be the least appreciated great voice in country music. You want perfection? Listen to Waller and his bandmates do “Dark as a Dungeon.” Chilling.
3. Waylon Jennings is my favorite singer ever. Picking out one of his songs is near impossible but I stuck to my rules (mostly) and whittled the list down from 10 or so (“This Time,” “Mona,” “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?”) and came up with his smooth, soulful version of “Dreaming My Dreams.” Every good woman should be sung to like this.
And now, for our winner,, the No. 2 Greatest Country Music Song of All Time ...
Are you people crazy? Of course it’s a Hank Williams song! Williams IS country music despite George Jones being in the No. 1 spot with “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
My brain tells me that “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is inarguably the second best country music song ever. But to heck with my brain. This is about country music. The heart rules!
2. “Rambling Man” by Hank Williams. Just listen to it. Listen to the master.

Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen. Tell him he’s crazy at jimmyespy@daltoncitizen.com or by phone at 706-272-7735.