"Darned If I Don't" is the title of a song written by Dean Dillon

Dean Dillon

Dean Dillon is an American country music artist. Between 1982 and 1993, Dillon recorded six studio albums on various labels, and charted several singles on the Billboard country charts. Although he has not charted since 1993, Dillon has continued to write several hit songs for other artists, most...

 and Ronnie Dunn

Ronnie Dunn

Ronnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...

, and recorded by country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 group Shenandoah

Shenandoah (band)

Shenandoah is an American country music group founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1984 by Marty Raybon , Ralph Ezell , Stan Thorn , Jim Seales , and Mike McGuire...

. It was released in April 1995 as the second single from their 1994 album In the Vicinity of the Heart

In the Vicinity of the Heart

In the Vicinity of the Heart is the sixth studio album by the American country music band Shenandoah. Their only studio album for Liberty Records, it was released in November 1994 . The first single from the album, "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart", features duet vocals from Alison Krauss...

. It peaked at #4 in the United States, and #7 in Canada. This song was co-written by Ronnie Dunn, who was one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...

.

"Darned If I Don't" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal

Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal

The Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded from 1970 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1970 the award was known as Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group...

 at the Grammy Awards of 1995.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

magazine reviewed the song unfavorably, telling the reader to look at the title and make up their own song because it is "bound to be more interesting than what is going on here." She goes on to say that while Shenandoah has released many quality singles, this is not one of them.

Music video

The music video was directed by Steven Goldmann

Steven Goldmann

Steven Goldmann is a Canadian music video and film director. He has directed over 200 music videos. Goldmann also directed the movies Broken Bridges and Trailer Park of Terror, and has additionally directed several television programs.-1990-1999:...

, and has seven acts in a play stage style, involving the lead singer and his girlfriend. They meet, then they get married, but it turns out that the lead singer was only daydreaming while looking at her.

Chart performance

"Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)" debuted at number 68 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 22, 1995.

Chart (1995)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	4
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	7