I'll Think of a Reason Later
Encyclopedia
"I'll Think of a Reason Later" is a song written by Tony Martin
and Tim Nichols
and recorded by American
country
artist Lee Ann Womack
. It was released in late 1998 as the second single from her CD, Some Things I Know
; it peaked at #2 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks.
and electric guitar
. The narrator, in the first verse, has just found out that her ex-boyfriend is about to be married to another woman. Upon discovering the wedding announcement in a paper, she expresses her dissatisfation with the ex-boyfriend's lover.
The narrator then elaborates on her frustration in the second verse, defacing the woman's picture with a marker and saying that although she "couldn't be happier on [her] own", she is still jealous.
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "This feisty little number portrays a woman spurned, but it's more mischievous than mournful. Tony Martin and Tim Nicholas have penned a cute, clever lyric. It's totally country, and one of the strengths of the tune is its accessibility. The lyric is very conversational with lots of country phrasing, and Womack turns in an engaging performance, convincing as the redneck woman scorned. Country radio programmers and audiences should make this one of the earliest hits of the new year.
chart dated December 26, 1998. It charted for 25 weeks on that chart, and reached #2 on the country chart dated April 10, 1999, and remained there for four weeks, having been blocked from Number One by Kenny Chesney's
"How Forever Feels
". It also peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100
, giving Womack her first crossover on that chart, in addition to reaching #1 on Canada's RPM
country chart.
Tony Martin (songwriter)
Tony Martin is a country music songwriter who has had twelve Number One hits as a songwriter. Among his compositions are "Third Rock from the Sun" by Joe Diffie and "Just to See You Smile" by Tim McGraw....
and Tim Nichols
Tim Nichols
Tim Nichols Tim Nichols Tim Nichols (born in Portsmouth, Virginia is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since the late 1980s, Nichols has written for several country music singers, including Keith Whitley, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Jo Dee Messina, and Alan Jackson...
and recorded by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country
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...
artist Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
. It was released in late 1998 as the second single from her CD, Some Things I Know
Some Things I Know
Some Things I Know is the second album from Lee Ann Womack. It was released in 1998 and rose to the #20 position on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's first two singles, "A Little Past Little Rock" and "I'll Think of a Reason Later," both peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot...
; it peaked at #2 on the 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...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks.
Content
The song is an up-tempo in the key of E-flat major, beginning with pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
and electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. The narrator, in the first verse, has just found out that her ex-boyfriend is about to be married to another woman. Upon discovering the wedding announcement in a paper, she expresses her dissatisfation with the ex-boyfriend's lover.
The narrator then elaborates on her frustration in the second verse, defacing the woman's picture with a marker and saying that although she "couldn't be happier on [her] own", she is still jealous.
Reception
Editors at BillboardBillboard (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...
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "This feisty little number portrays a woman spurned, but it's more mischievous than mournful. Tony Martin and Tim Nicholas have penned a cute, clever lyric. It's totally country, and one of the strengths of the tune is its accessibility. The lyric is very conversational with lots of country phrasing, and Womack turns in an engaging performance, convincing as the redneck woman scorned. Country radio programmers and audiences should make this one of the earliest hits of the new year.
Chart performance
The song debuted at #62 on the Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart dated December 26, 1998. It charted for 25 weeks on that chart, and reached #2 on the country chart dated April 10, 1999, and remained there for four weeks, having been blocked from Number One by Kenny Chesney's
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
"How Forever Feels
How Forever Feels
"How Forever Feels" is the title of a song written by Wendell Mobley and Tony Mullins, and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released in December 1998 as the first single released from his album, Everywhere We Go. The song reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot...
". It also peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, giving Womack her first crossover on that chart, in addition to reaching #1 on Canada's RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
country chart.
| Chart (1998–1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 38 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |