Ray Charles - I Can't Stop Loving You

Sometimes things are more than they seem.  Country music is full of this - for example, how Ray Charles took Don Gibson's country ballad and took it right to the top of Billboard's Hot 100, R&B, and Adult Contemporary charts in 1962.  Charles released an entire country music album, Modern Sounds In Country Music.  The album was a smash success, and helped to introduce Charles to a bunch of folks who had never heard him before.  Charles took some of the great old country songs and remade them as his own.

More than things seem.

Charles saw a great similarity between Country and the Blues:

"The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues, see, very down. They're not as dressed up, and the people are very honest and say, 'Look, I miss you, darlin', so I went out and I got drunk in this bar.' That's the way you say it. Where in Tin Pan Alley will say, 'Oh, I missed you darling, so I went to this restaurant and I sat down and I had dinner for one.' That's cleaned up now, you see? But country songs and the blues is like it is."

There's a man who would know.



I Can't Stop Loving You (Songwriter: Don Gibson):

I've made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)

It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday
(Dreams of yesterday)
Those happy hours that we once knew

Tho' long ago, they still make me blue
They say that time heals a broken heart
But time has stood still since we've been apart
(I can't stop loving you)

I've made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)

It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday
(Those happy hours)
Those happy hours

(That we once knew)
That we once knew
(Tho' long ago)

Tho' long ago
(Still make me blue)
Still make me blue
(They say that time)

They say that time
(Heals a broken heart)
Heals a broken heart
(But time has stood still)

Time has stood still
(Since we've been apart)
Since we've been apart
(I can't stop loving you)
I said I made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
Sing the song, children
(I can't stop wanting you)
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday
(Of yesterday)