I had to keep the title short, so it’s not quite accurate, but I think it’s close enough. I’m looking for country songs about loving someone you can’t have. Some themes would include:
Loving someone that belongs to someone else – the object of desire either knows or doesn’t know
Both in love but can’t have each other
Best friend’s wife
Some song examples are:
“As Close as I’ll Get to Loving You” - Aaron Tippin
“You Don’t Know Me” - Eddie Arnold
I recall a 50’s classic along these lines, but can’t remember it…but I’ll take 50’s and 60’s classic rock tunes, as well.
Then there’s a country song with a different take on unrequited love.
In Garth Brooks’ “Unanswered Prayers,” a married adult male meets the girl he used to pine over, the girl he used to beg God to set him up with… and realizes they were wrong for each other all along.
I wasn’t really looking for, “We used to love each other, and now we don’t” but rather, “I love you, but you don’t even know who I am”
Also, “I love you, you love me, but we can’t have each other”
I’ll be true to you - Oak Ridge Boys
Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
Someone Else’s Star - Bryan White
The Weekend - Steve Wariner
Addicted - Dan Seals
Now we are hitting the target! Forbidden love definitely works.
The non-country song I couldn’t recall was “My Eyes Adored You,” which is definitely in the spirit of what I’m looking for. Thanks everyone, keep 'em coming!
In college I took a medieval literature course in which we studied the works of the Minnesaenger, wand’ring minstrels whose schtick was to sing lonesome songs about how much in love they were with the noblewoman on the next estate over, and how sad it was because she was so very far beyond his reach and probably didn’t even know who he was and they would never ever ever be together. The professor remarked that as far as she was concerned, the works of the Minnesaenger were the direct lineal ancestors of country music.
