Merle Haggard, renowned for his 38 number one singles on the Billboard charts, showcased his songwriting prowess by delivering hits not only for himself but also for other artists. Among his notable achievements were five songs that became successful on six different occasions when performed by various singers.
One such example was “Today I Started Loving You Again,” which reached number nine for Sammi Smith in 1975 and also gained popularity when Charlie McCoy released an instrumental version in 1972, peaking at number 16. Conway Twitty’s rendition of “I Wonder What She’ll Think About Me Leaving” climbed to number four in 1971, while Hank Williams, Jr. achieved the same position in 1969 with “I’d Rather Be Gone.” Merle’s exceptional songwriting skills led to two number one hits: George Jones’ rendition of “I Always Get Lucky with You” and Charley Pride’s heartfelt performance of “A Shoulder to Cry On.”
In hindsight, although “A Shoulder to Cry On” reached the top spot on the charts, Charley Pride expressed doubts about its release as a single. The interesting story behind the song unfolded during a joint performance by Merle Haggard and Charley Pride in Las Vegas. On stage, Merle presented the song to Charley, who found himself compelled to express his liking for it in front of a large audience. Consequently, Charley committed to recording the song. In return, Haggard promised to record some songs published by Charley’s company, Pi-Gem. However, Merle never fulfilled this promise, which left Charley feeling somewhat disappointed.
Looking back, Charley Pride revealed that if given the chance, he would have chosen “My Love Is Deep, My Love Is Wide” by Ben Peters as his next single. According to Charley, this song possessed a more commercial appeal than “A Shoulder to Cry On.” Notably, Ben Peters was renowned as the composer of Charley’s signature hit, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning.” Charley had previously recorded “My Love Is Deep, My Love Is Wide” for his album “Songs of Love” four months earlier. Unfortunately, the single for that song was released by a lesser-known artist, Pat Daisy, and it struggled to climb the charts, reaching only number 53. With Charley’s talent and influence, the song could have potentially reached the number one spot.
Personally, I consider “A Shoulder to Cry On” to be one of Charley Pride’s finest records, thanks in part to Jack Clement’s exceptional production. However, it seems that Charley may have felt slightly cornered by Merle Haggard’s insistence on recording the song. This could have affected Charley’s overall reception of the song. Additionally, Merle’s failure to follow through on his promise to record Pi-Gem’s material might have further soured Charley’s experience with “A Shoulder to Cry On.”
Nevertheless, on April 14, 1973, “A Shoulder to Cry On” claimed its rightful place at the number one position on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. This marked Charley Pride’s eleventh chart-topper out of his impressive total of 29.
Artist: Charley Pride
Released: 1973
Album: Sweet Country
Lyrics
I came here because I knew I’d be welcome
And because somehow you always understand
You seem to have a way with lonely people
And you always were my greatest helping hand
Now once again I’m here to take advantage
Though I don’t deserve the arms I left alone
I need to know there’s someone who still loves me
And I need a shoulder to cry on
I over looked the love you tried so hard to give
The love I never seem to understand
I always stay just long enough to hurt you
And what little love I gave was second hand
Now once again I’m here to take advantage
Cause once again the one I love is gone
I need to know there’s someone who still loves me
And I need a shoulder to cry on
Yes I need to know there’s someone who still loves me
And I need a shoulder to cry on
