Tall, Tall Trees
"Tall, Tall Trees" is a song co-written by American singers George Jones and Roger Miller. Both singers recorded their own versions: Jones on his 1958 album Long Live King George,[2] and Miller on his 1970 album A Trip in the Country.[3]
| "Tall, Tall Trees" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Alan Jackson | ||||
| from the album The Greatest Hits Collection | ||||
| B-side | "Home" (7") | |||
| Released | October 9, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | May 31, 1995[1] | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:28 | |||
| Label | Arista Nashville 12879 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | George Jones Roger Miller | |||
| Producer(s) | Keith Stegall | |||
| Alan Jackson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Tall, Tall Trees" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by George Jones | ||||
| from the album Long Live King George | ||||
| A-side | "Hearts in My Dreams" | |||
| Released | August 26, 1957 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:29 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter(s) | George Jones, Roger Miller | |||
| Producer(s) | Pappy Daily | |||
| George Jones singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
However, it was not until October 1995 that the song was released as a single, by Alan Jackson, as one of the newly recorded tracks for his 1995 compilation album The Greatest Hits Collection.[4] Jackson's cover was his eleventh Number One hit on the Billboard country charts.
Content
The song is an up-tempo track in which the narrator promises to his significant other that he will give her anything she desires, whether it be a "big limousine", a "great big mansion", or "tall, tall trees and all the water in the seas".
In the liner notes for his Greatest hits album, Jackson wrote,"This is an old Roger Miller song I stumbled across. It's a real fun song with a Cajun feel. I've always been a big fan of Roger's and when it came time to record a couple of new songs for this greatest hits, I couldn't resist. After I recorded it, we found out that George Jones is a co-writer - I think George had even forgotten he'd written it. I'm proud to have the chance to record a song written by two of my favorites."[1]
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Jackson's vocal "evokes the right combination of devotion and playfulness on this tune about a man who promises his love everything from a big mansion to tall, tall trees."[5]
Music video
The music video was directed and produced by Sherman Halsey and premiered in October 1995 on CMT. It features a woman (played by actress Monica Potter) in a white room watching screenshots of Jackson and his band playing in a black room. Near the end of the video a boy dressed like a cowboy gives the woman a peanut butter sandwich already bitten by the boy and she takes a bite but then leaves it on the chair, and then at the very end of the video, Jackson comes into the room and finds the sandwich on the chair, takes it, and walks away eating it.
Chart positions
"Tall, Tall Trees" debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of October 21, 1995.
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] | 1 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 1 |
References
- The Greatest Hits Collection (CD). Alan Jackson. Arista Records. 1995. 07822 18801.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Bedard, George. "Long Live King George review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- Adams, Greg. "A Trip in the Country review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- Huey, Steve. "Alan Jackson biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- Billboard, October 21, 1995
- "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2825." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 4, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
