The Chair (song)

"The Chair" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Dean Dillon and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in August 1985 as the first single from Strait’s album Something Special. The song reached number one on the country music charts in both the United States and Canada in 1985.^[2] The song was named by CMT as one of the Top 100 country songs of all time, posting at number 24 on that list. Something that sets "The Chair" apart for most other songs of any style - it has no refrain or chorus. Only the basic melody repeats throughout the song.

Background and writing

"The Chair" came at the end of a night-long songwriting binge by country music songwriters, Hank Cochran and Dean Dillon. The two had been writing songs all night long and as Dillon puts it, "were about written out" - when he strummed his guitar and sang the line "Excuse me but I think you've got my chair." Twenty minutes later, "The Chair" was complete.

Content

The lyrics represent a conversation between a man and a woman at a dance club, but only the man's side of the conversation is revealed. At the beginning he says, "Well excuse me, but I think you've got my chair." Over the course of the conversation, the talk grows more intimate, until the woman agrees to let the man drive her home. At the end he says, "Oh I like you too, and to tell you the truth, that wasn't my chair after all."

Critical reception

"The Chair" is widely considered one of Strait's greatest songs. Billboard and American Songwriter ranked the song number one and number three, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest George Strait songs.^[3]^[4] In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #124 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.^[5]

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying that "there isn't a hat act out there who could measure up to Strait’s delivery of this song." He went on by saying that "the song remains fresh and interesting even after you know the twist at the end" and that is the "hallmark of a great storyteller."^[6]

Music video

The music video was George Strait's second music video, and it was directed by Marc Ball.

Chart positions

Chart (1985)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[7]	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1

Certifications

Certifications for *The Chair*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[8]	Platinum	1,000,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Tomlin, Edward (August 10, 2024). "10 Best George Strait Songs of All Time". Singersroom. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 336.
^ Dauphin, Chuck (June 27, 2017). "George Strait's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
^ Walthall, Catherine (December 28, 2021). "The Top 10 George Strait Songs". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
^ "The 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 24, 2014.
^ CountryUniverse.net Song review
^ "George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ "American single certifications – George Strait – The Chair". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 10, 2022.

External links

Allmusic
CMT

v t e George Strait singles
Albums Singles Ace in the Hole Band The Cowboy Rides Away Tour
1980s	"Unwound" "Down and Out" "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)" "Fool Hearted Memory" "Marina del Rey" "Amarillo by Morning" "A Fire I Can't Put Out" "You Look So Good in Love" "Right or Wrong" "Let's Fall to Pieces Together" "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" "The Cowboy Rides Away" "The Fireman" "The Chair" "You're Something Special to Me" "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" "It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About You" "Ocean Front Property" "All My Ex's Live in Texas" "Am I Blue" "Famous Last Words of a Fool" "Baby Blue" "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" "Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye" "What's Going On in Your World" "Ace in the Hole" "Overnight Success"
1990s	"Love Without End, Amen" "Drinking Champagne" "I've Come to Expect It from You" "If I Know Me" "You Know Me Better Than That" "The Chill of an Early Fall" "Lovesick Blues" "Gone as a Girl Can Get" "So Much Like My Dad" "I Cross My Heart" "Heartland" "When Did You Stop Loving Me" "Easy Come, Easy Go" "I'd Like to Have That One Back" "Lovebug" "The Man in Love with You" "The Big One" "You Can't Make a Heart Love Somebody" "Adalida" "Lead On" "Check Yes or No" "I Know She Still Loves Me" "Blue Clear Sky" "Carried Away" "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" "King of the Mountain" "One Night at a Time" "Carrying Your Love with Me" "Today My World Slipped Away" "Round About Way" "I Just Want to Dance with You" "True" "We Really Shouldn't Be Doing This" "Meanwhile" "Write This Down" "What Do You Say to That"
2000s	"The Best Day" "Go On" "Don't Make Me Come Over There and Love You" "If You Can Do Anything Else" "Run" "Living and Living Well" "She'll Leave You with a Smile" "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa" "Cowboys Like Us" "Desperately" "I Hate Everything" "You'll Be There" "She Let Herself Go" "The Seashores of Old Mexico" "Give It Away" "It Just Comes Natural" "Wrapped" "How 'bout Them Cowgirls" "I Saw God Today" "Troubadour" "River of Love" "Living for the Night" "Twang"
2010s	"I Gotta Get to You" "The Breath You Take" "Here for a Good Time" "Love's Gonna Make It Alright" "Drinkin' Man" "Give It All We Got Tonight" "I Believe" "I Got a Car" "Let It Go" "Cold Beer Conversation" "Every Little Honky Tonk Bar"
Other songs	"Murder on Music Row" (w/ Alan Jackson) "Hey, Good Lookin'" (w/ Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith) "Shiftwork" (w/ Kenny Chesney) "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven"

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