The Top 5 Tim McGraw Deep Cuts from the 90s

By Ronnie Calhoun

Opinions expressed are those of the guest writer and don't necessarily reflect the views of LCM.

Let me put this in perspective before we get started. Tim McGraw has racked up more than thirty number one hits, dozens of Top 10 hits, three Grammy Awards, and tens of millions of records sold over the course of his career. The man is a hit machine, plain and simple. Here is the part that still amazes me though. For every song of his you heard on the radio, there is another one sitting on an album somewhere that is just as good, sometimes even better, that never got released at all. Those are the deep cuts, and that is where I love to live as a fan. This list zeroes in on my favorites from his 1990s, the buried treasures that were never sent to radio.

Tim McGraw released 5 albums in the 1990s. Photo by sunnyd_57 via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Narrowing this down to five was harder than you might think. There are so many that I considered for this list that are certainly worthy. Songs like "The Trouble With Never," "Senorita Margarita," "Don't Mention Memphis," "I Do But I Don't," "She'll Have You Back," and several others could have all snuck onto the list on a different day. These five are just the ones I keep coming back to.

That being said, I had to narrow them down to five. Here is my list:

5. Ain't That Just Like a Dream (1994)

Not a Moment Too Soon

I love the hook on this song. "Ain't that just like a dream, it always ends." This one is a nostalgic reflection on youth, young love, and the realization that the "good old days" eventually fade away. It is a reminder of how fast those carefree moments slip away. The chorus comes back like a mantra, driving home that the past can feel completely real and totally out of reach at once, a lot like a dream that fades before you are ready. The narrator would give anything for one more night back in that feeling, but you can hear the acceptance settle in. Those days are gone for good, and all that is left is the echo of something that once felt so alive.

4. I Didn't Ask, and She Didn't Say (1995)

All I Want

This one is a ballad about a chance airport run-in between two former lovers, both waiting on delayed flights. On the surface it is all polite catching up, old friends, pictures of the kids, small talk about the weather. Underneath, his mind is somewhere else entirely. As he walks away he can't help but wonder where they would be today if things had gone different. But the question that really haunts him is whether she ever thinks back on those memories the way he does. The beauty of the song is that it just hangs there, unanswered. He didn't ask, and she didn't say.

3.When She Wakes Up (And Finds Me Gone) (1995)

All I Want

This is a powerful song about the heavy weight of walking away from a relationship. The guy slips out into the dark of night while his partner is fast asleep, leaving only a note behind because he can't bear to face the tears of a real, face-to-face goodbye. What makes it hit so hard is that he knows better. He admits a good man would never leave her like this, and he does it anyway, drowning in guilt while trying to convince himself a quiet exit hurts them both less than a long, drawn out goodbye. The internal conflict in this song is something that so many of his listeners can relate to.

2. You Don't Love Me Anymore (1999)

A Place in the Sun

Another ballad, this one about the bittersweet, accidental reunion of two former lovers two years after their split. She walks up out of nowhere and makes a joke about not being quite sure where they know each other from. He is blindsided by the chance meeting. As they talk, he falls back into that old, comfortable warmth and lets himself get pulled in. For just a minute the memories are so real that he forgets she doesn't love him anymore. That is the ache at the center of the song, the moment he catches himself believing in something that is already gone and has to relive the emotions of it being over once again. The most powerful moment comes right at the end. He makes an excuse about the weather turning and the roads icing up, says it is time for him to hit the road, and just as they are saying goodbye she lets something slip before she can catch herself. She tells him she wishes he didn't have to go. In that instant she gets swept up in the very same feelings he has been fighting the whole time. Just a well-crafted song that shows the beauty and the struggle that sometimes come with love.

Fun Fact: One of the writers on this song is Greg Barnhill, a hit Nashville songwriter raised in Louisiana who joined us on a recent episode of LCM Live.

1. Somebody Must Be Prayin' For Me (1999)

A Place in the Sun

I saved the number one spot for this beautiful story about destiny, divine intervention, and finding the life you needed in a place you never imagined. A young woman leaves Oklahoma for California, chasing Hollywood with no intention of turning back. Just outside Flagstaff her motor blows, and that breakdown, which looks like the worst kind of luck, turns out to be the best thing that ever happens to her. She meets a young mechanic at the gas station where she's stranded, the two of them fall hard for each other, and she builds a whole life and family with him. Years later she still wonders now and then about those Hollywood dreams, but when she tucks her kids into bed she whispers the same words she said the day her car died. Somebody must be prayin' for me. McGraw delivers it with such gratitude and wonder, leaning into the comforting belief that when our own plans fall apart, unseen hands may be guiding us somewhere better.

final thoughts

That is my top 5. As you can see, I'm a sucker for a great ballad. Now I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts? Drop your favorite Tim McGraw deep cuts in the comments and let me know where you agree with me and where you disagree.

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About the Writer:

Ronnie Calhoun is the host of LCM Live and a guest contributor to Louisiana Country Music. This piece reflects his personal picks, not an official LCM ranking.

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