Introduction:
Country music has a long history of great duets. Collaborations with artists go all the way back to Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, and more. But in the 1990s, some of the best country duets emerged, combining the talents of two successful artists in one beautiful song.
These four country duets from the 1990s still make us swoon, even after all these years.
In Anotherâs Eyes by Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks
Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks released âIn Anotherâs Eyesâ in 1997. At the time, Brooks was married to Sandy Mahl, and Yearwood was married to Robert Reynolds. But the song, about wishing they were with someone else, became a bit of a foretelling. Yearwood and Brooks will celebrate 20 years of marriage in December.
âIn Anotherâs Eyesâ is written by Brooks, along with Bobby Wood, and John Peppard. The song says in part, âIn anotherâs eyes, Iâm afraid that I canât see / This picture perfect portrait that they paint of me / They donât realize, and I pray they never do / âCause every time I look Iâm seeinâ you / In anotherâs eyes.â
âIn Anotherâs Eyesâ could have been partially inspired by Yearwood. Brooks admits that he was smitten when the two first met in the studio, an attraction that surprised him.
âI had been married 13 months when I met her,â Brooks remembers in a documentary about his life (via Taste of Country). âWhen someone said, âWhatâd you think when I met her?â I said, âI felt like I just met my wife,â which is weird, right? But the girlsâ mother and I were married in a church, in front of our families.â
âWhen I Said I Doâ by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black
Clint Black wrote âWhen I Said I Doâ by himself. He released it as a single in 1999 with his wife, Lisa Hartman Black. The sweet love song says in part, âWhen I said I do, I meant that I will âtil the end of all time / Be faithful and true, devoted to you / Thatâs what I had in mind when I said I do.â
The song is seemingly perfect for a husband and wife. Still, Black admits it took some convincing to get Lisa Hartman Black, whom he wed in 1991, to sing on it with him.
âI said, âIf you donât sing on this, Iâm gonna sing it by myself,â Clint Black recalls to People. â[âIâm] not getting anyone else to sing it with me, and weâll always look back and wish you were there.ââ
âThe Heart Wonât Lieâ by Reba McEntire and Vince Gill
Vince Gill joins Reba McEntire on âThe Heart Wonât Lieâ. Written by Kim Carnes and Donna Weiss and released as a single in 1993, the song is about two people who want to be together, even though they remain apart.
âThe Heart Wonât Lieâ says, ââCause the heart wonât lie / Sometimes life gets in the way / But thereâs one thing that wonât change / I know, Iâve tried / The heart wonât lie / You can live your alibi / Who can see youâre lost inside / A foolish disguise? / The heart wonât lie.â
The video for âThe Heart Wonât Lieâ is loosely based on the movie, An Officer And A Gentleman.
âJust To Hear You Say That You Love Meâ by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw
Most people think of âItâs Your Loveâ when they think of Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. But the couple has released several other duets, equally as good, including âJust To Hear You Say That You Love Meâ. Written by hit songwriter Dianne Warren, the song appears on Hillâs third studio album, Faith, released in 1998.
âJust To Hear You Say That You Love Meâ says, âIâd climb right up to the sky / Iâd take down the stars / Just to be in your arms, baby / Iâd go and capture the moon / Thatâs what I would do / Just to hear you say that you love me / Just to hear you say that you love me.â
