Life Ain't Always Beautiful
"Life Ain't Always Beautiful" is a song written by Cyndi Goodman and Tommy Lee James, and recorded by American country music singer Gary Allan. It was released in January 2006 as the second and final single from his album Tough All Over. The song became Allan's ninth Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with a peak at number 4.
"Life Ain't Always Beautiful" | ||||
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Single by Gary Allan | ||||
from the album Tough All Over | ||||
Released | January 17, 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2005 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:44 | |||
Label | MCA Nashville | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cyndi Goodman, Tommy Lee James | |||
Producer(s) | Mark Wright, Gary Allan | |||
Gary Allan singles chronology | ||||
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Content
The song is a ballad, in which the narrator talks about the realities of life, despite the peaks and valleys we go through. The narrator states that "Life isn't always beautiful / But it's a beautiful ride."
Critical reception
Matt Bjorke of Roughstock reviewed the song favorably, calling it "a poignant song sung softly and tenderly by an emotional vocalist."
Music video
The music video for this song features Gary singing the song in Las Vegas. It was directed by Paul Boyd.
Chart performance
The song debuted at number 58 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated January 21, 2006. It charted for 33 weeks on that chart, and reached a peak of number 4 on the chart dated August 19, 2006. In addition, it peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country (Billboard)[1] | 20 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[2] | 4 |
US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 61 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2006) | Position |
---|---|
US Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 23 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[5] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- "Gary Allan Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard.
- "Gary Allan Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- "Gary Allan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- "Best of 2006: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
- "American single certifications – Gary Allen – Life Ain't Always Beautiful". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 12, 2022.