High Cotton (song)

"High Cotton" is a song written by Scott Anders and Roger Murrah, and recorded by American country music group Alabama. It was released in July 1989 as the third single from the album Southern Star. The song was one of four singles on the album to reach number one on the Hot Country Singles chart.^[1]

Lyrics

The song is a reminiscence of the youth of the narrator, who explains how his younger days were so good, and how he didn't realize how the times would change. "We didn't know that times were lean / Around our house the grass was green / It didn't seem like things were all that bad." The song references some the morals and customs characteristic of religious farming families, especially during the olden days, such as taking Sunday as a strict day of rest, whether or not there was work that could be done. The whole fourth stanza of the song references this "When Sunday mornings rolled around / We dressed up in hand-me-downs / Just in time, to gather with the church / Sometimes I think how long it's been / And how it impressed me then / It was the only day my daddy wouldn't work." It also glorifies a generally simple lifestyle of hard work. "I bet we walked a thousand miles / Choppin' cotton and pushin' plows / And learnin' how to give it all we had."

Music video

The music video consists of fairly modern (upon release of the song) footage of a farm. The early 1950s Cadillac convertible that is seen in the video is being driven by the band members of Alabama, who seem to be observing with admiration the things they are seeing that relate to the context of the song. The video was directed by Jack Cole.

Chart positions

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[2]	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[3]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[4]	25
US Country Songs (Billboard)^[5]	13

References

1 2 "allmusic ((( Southern Star > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allcharts. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6607." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. November 4, 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
↑ "Alabama – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Alabama.
↑ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1989". RPM. December 23, 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
↑ "Best of 1989: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.

External links

"High Cotton" at AllMusic
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "Living Proof" by Ricky Van Shelton	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single October 28, 1989	Succeeded by "Ace in the Hole" by George Strait
	RPM Country Tracks number-one single November 4, 1989

Alabama (band) 1977–1989 singles

Deuces Wild	"I Want to Be with You Tonight"

My Home's in Alabama	"I Wanna Come Over" "My Home's in Alabama" "Tennessee River" "Why Lady Why"

Feels So Right	"Old Flame" "Feels So Right" "Love in the First Degree"

Mountain Music	"Mountain Music" "Take Me Down" "Close Enough to Perfect"

The Closer You Get...	"Dixieland Delight" "The Closer You Get" "Lady Down on Love"

Roll On	"Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" "When We Make Love" "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" "(There's A) Fire in the Night"

40-Hour Week	"There's No Way" "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')" "Can't Keep a Good Man Down"

Greatest Hits	"She and I"

The Touch	"Touch Me When We're Dancing" ""You've Got" the Touch"

Just Us	"Tar Top" "Face to Face" "Fallin' Again"

Southern Star	"Song of the South" "If I Had You" "High Cotton" "Southern Star"

Other singles	"Christmas in Dixie" "Deep River Woman" (with Lionel Richie)

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