The Chair (song)

"The Chair" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Dean Dillon and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in August 1985 as the first single from Strait’s album Something Special. The song reached number one on the country music charts in both the United States and Canada in 1985.[1] The song was named by CMT as one of the Top 100 country songs of all time, posting at number 24 on that list. Something that sets "The Chair" apart for most other songs of any style - it has no refrain or chorus. Only the basic melody repeats throughout the song.

Not to be confused with the song by Living Colour from the 2009 album The Chair in the Doorway.
"The Chair"
Single by George Strait
from the album Something Special
B-side"In Too Deep"
ReleasedAugust 26, 1985
RecordedFebruary 28, 1985
GenreCountry
Length2:51
LabelMCA 52667
Songwriter(s)Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon
Producer(s)Jimmy Bowen & George Strait
George Strait singles chronology
"The Fireman"
(1985)		 "The Chair"
(1985)		 "You're Something Special to Me"
(1985)

Background and writing

"The Chair" came at the end of a night-long songwriting binge by country music songwriters, Hank Cochran and Dean Dillon. The two had been writing songs all night long and as Dillon puts it, "were about written out" - when he strummed his guitar and sang the line "Excuse me but I think you've got my chair." Twenty minutes later, "The Chair" was complete.

Content

The lyrics represent a conversation between a man and a woman at a dance club, but only the man's side of the conversation is revealed. At the beginning he says, "Well excuse me, but I think you've got my chair." Over the course of the conversation, the talk grows more intimate, until the woman agrees to let the man drive her home. At the end he says, "Oh I like you too, and to tell you the truth, that wasn't my chair after all."

Critical reception

"The Chair" is widely considered one of Strait's greatest songs. Billboard and American Songwriter ranked the song number one and number three, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest George Strait songs.[2][3]

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying that "there isn't a hat act out there who could measure up to Strait’s delivery of this song." He goes on by saying that "the song remains fresh and interesting even after you know the twist at the end" and that is the "hallmark of a great storyteller."[4]

Music video

The music video was George Strait's second music video, and it was directed by Marc Ball.

Chart positions
Chart (1985) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1

Certifications
Certifications for The Chair
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[6] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 336.
  2. Dauphin, Chuck (June 27, 2017). "George Strait's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  3. Walthall, Catherine (December 28, 2021). "The Top 10 George Strait Songs". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  4. CountryUniverse.net Song review
  5. "George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  6. "American single certifications – George Strait – The Chair". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
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