Old Flames Have New Names

"Old Flames Have New Names" is a song written by Bobby Braddock and Rafe VanHoy, and recorded by American country music singer Mark Chesnutt. It was released in February 1992 and is one of his most well known songs. It was the leading single from Chesnutt's second album Longnecks & Short Stories.

"Old Flames Have New Names"
Single by Mark Chesnutt
from the album Longnecks & Short Stories
B-side"Postpone the Pain"[1]
ReleasedFebruary 1992
Recorded1991
GenreCountry
Length2:24
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Bobby Braddock, Rafe VanHoy
Producer(s)Mark Wright
Mark Chesnutt singles chronology
"Broken Promise Land"
(1991)		 "Old Flames Have New Names"
(1992)		 "I'll Think of Something"
(1992)

Background

Braddock and VanHoy wrote the song over the telephone in an attempt to create something along the lines of George Strait's 1987 country single "All My Ex's Live in Texas". They initially titled the song "Old Flames With New Names". Mark Wright, who would produce Chesnutt's record, suggested the change to "Old Flames Have New Names".[2]

Content

The protagonist — an apparent self-described "ladies' man" — moves back to his hometown after a two-year absence, hoping to resume his wild, womanizing ways with women he found desirable. But instead of receiving a grand homecoming and a night of carousing and lovemaking, he finds out some hard truths: that all of his former love interests have moved on with their lives and settled down.

Several of the protagonist's old flames are married, two are expectant mothers and another has taken up vows of sisterhood. Upon finding out these things about his former girlfriends, he bemoans that now they don't want anything to do with him, since "I'm just a bad reminder of their wild and wooly days."

Chart performance

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 92–93. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
  2. Braddock, Bobby (2015). A Life on Nashville's Music Row. Nashville, Tennessee: Country Music Foundation Press/Vanderbilt University Press. pp. 234–236. ISBN 978-0-8265-2082-1.
  3. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2135." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. May 23, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  4. "Mark Chesnutt Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992". RPM. December 19, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  6. "Best of 1992: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.


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