Song Lyric Sunday – “Check Yes or No” by George Strait

This week Jim Adams has prompted us with choosing songs pertaining to Yes | No for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday.

I’ve managed to check both the boxes for yes and no with George Strait’s “Check Yes or No”. How many of you can remember writing a note to someone you liked asking them if they liked you or loved you? Then drew boxes with Yes, No or Maybe next to those boxes before slipping them across the room while the teacher’s back was turned??? I thought so! This song epitomizes what we were all going through during our childhood and teenage years.

Co-writers Dana Hunt Black and Danny Wells wrote a hit. Both Wells and Black are North Carolina natives. After receiving his A.A. Degree in Music from Southwestern College, Danny Wells headed to Music City in 1980, landing his first job with Town and Country Productions where he mailed records for the Warner Brothers label. He also spent time playing in various bands, writing songs and working on sales. In January, 1992, Wells began concentrating on his real passion of songwriting after earning a B.M. in Commercial Music at Belmont University. In December, 1994, he began writing “Check Yes or No”. Dana Hunt Black moved to Nashville in 1993 and signed her first publishing deal with Double J Music in 1994. Both had their first #1 hit with “Check Yes or No”.

Elvis Presley may be known as the “King of Rock n’ Roll”, but George Strait is known as the “King of Country”. He is the most influential and popular recording country music artist of all time. He is a real Texas cowboy who just happens to be able to stand at a microphone and put the country roots into any song he can get his hands on. In the 1980’s, Strait brought back country music to its roots at a time that country music was heading straight into the pop genre. In his 40 year career, he has accumulated 60 #1 hits, breaking a record held by Conway Twitty with 44 #1 hits. He was named CMA Entertainer of the Year for 1989, 1990 & 2013 and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. He has more nominations for both academy awards in these two categories than any other artist. He was also named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) in the 2000s. On May 7, 2007, Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2009, Strait won his first Grammy for Best Country Album, Troubadour. Just this year, Strait was awarded Top Country Tour at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards beating out Eric Church and Florida Georgia Line. The trophy was awarded off-camera and announced following the NBC’s broadcast of the show.

Originally there was some speculation that Strait was retiring, but he announced he wasn’t retiring, he was just not touring anymore and set up residence in Las Vegas. His “Strait to Vegas” shows were postponed earlier this year due to the pandemic. Since that time, there are a couple of concerts scheduled for the summer of 2021.

George Strait has sold more than 68.5 million records and counting. He has 33 platinum or multi-platinum albums and has earned the second most certifications of any artist in any genre. Only one person has more certifications, Elvis Presley. This is why they are both the KING of their worlds!

LONG LIVE THE KINGS

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SONG FACTS

• Written by Dana Hunt Black & Danny Wells.
• Released on September 11, 1995.
• The first single on their fourth studio album, Into the Gap.
• Peaked at #1 on the US Hot Country Songs Billboard.
• Peaked at #1 on Canada’s (RPM) chart & US Billboard Hot 100.
• Certified Platinum 2 times with over 2 million units sold.
• Won the Academy of Country Music (ACM) award for Single of the Year for 1995
• Won the Country Music Association (CMA) award for Single of the Year for 1996

“Check Yes or No”

It started way back in third grade
I used to sit beside Emmylou Hayes
A pink dress, a matching bow, and her ponytail
She kissed me on the school bus but told me not to tell
Next day I chased her around the playground
Cross the monkey bars to the merry-go-round
And Emmylou got caught passing me a note
Before the teacher took it I read what she wrote
"Do you love me do you want to be my friend?
And if you do
Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to
I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no"
Now we're grown up and she's my wife
Still like two kids with stars in our eyes
Ain't much changed, I still chase Emmylou
Up and down the hall, around the bed in our room
Last night I took her out in a white limousine
Twenty years together she still gets to me
Can't believe it's been that long ago
When we got started with just a little note
"Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do
Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to
I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no"
"Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do
Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to
I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no"
Check yes or no
Check yes or no
Check yes or no
Check yes or no
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Dana Hunt / Danny Wells
Check Yes or No lyrics © Hori Pro Entertainment Group