"Meanwhile" is the title of a song written by Wayland Holyfield

Wayland Holyfield

Wayland D. Holyfield, , is a prominent American songwriter and leader in the songwriting community.-Early life:Wayland Holyfield was born in Mallettown, Arkansas. He was educated in Arkansas public schools and attended Hendrix College at Conway, Arkansas before graduating from the University of...

 and Fred Knoblock

Fred Knoblock

Fred Knoblock is an American country singer-songwriter.Prior to his solo career, Knoblock had been a member of Let's Eat, a 1970s rock band. Knoblock was signed to Scotti Brothers Records in 1980 when he released the song "Why Not Me", which he wrote along with Carson Whitsett...

, 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...

 artist George Strait

George Strait

George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...

. It was released in January 1999 as the lead-off single to his 1999 album Always Never the Same

Always Never the Same (George Strait album)

Always Never the Same is the title of an album released in 1999 by American country music singer George Strait. The album produced the singles "Meanwhile", "Write This Down", and "What Do You Say to That", which respectively reached #4, #1, and #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks ...

. It peaked at #4 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, while it was a number-one hit on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It also peaked at number 38 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making it a minor crossover hit.

Content

While enjoying a new relationship, the man can't help but flashing back to his former lover. The use of the word "meanwhile" to signal the shifts in his emotional focus makes the song almost feel like an episodic TV romance with an unresolved lovers' triangle.

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 favorably, calling it a "lilting ballad." She goes on to say that "Straits voice sounds like he's lived every word-the pleasure, the nostalgia, the wistful longing."

Chart positions

"Meanwhile" debuted at number 57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of January 9, 1999.

Chart (1999)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	38
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1