Patsy Cline has one of the absolute best, most distinct voices in all of country music history.
Oddly enough, she credits that voice to a major throat infection and rheumatic fever she had at 13 years old which took an awful toll on her, even stopping her heart at one point. The doctor put her in an oxygen tent, which helped her recovery, but the infection affected her throat and made her voice much lower. While you’d never want a child to go through a terrible event like that, safe to say it turned out pretty well…
Patsy had her first hit in 1957 with “Walkin’ After Midnight”, which went to Number 2 on the charts, but didn’t get another successful release until 1961 with “I Fall To Pieces”, which was her first Number 1.
She suffered serious injuries from a car accident the same year, but when she recovered, followed up with a song that also peaked at Number 2, but became one of her most iconic of her career, the Willie Nelson-penned “Crazy”.
To continue the wave of success she was riding, on January 10th, 1962 she released one of the most criminally underrated songs of her great career, “She’s Got You”.
Written by Hank Cochran, the song is a heartbreaking story of a woman looking through the items that were left behind when her man left for another woman. The specificity of pictures, records and class rings come together to just really make it hit so hard.
“I’ve got your class ring that proved you cared
And it still looks the same as when you gave it, dear
The only thing different, the only thing new
I’ve got these little things, she’s got you.”
“She’s Got You” immediately went to Number 1 on the country charts, the second and final one of her career, and Number 14 on the pop charts.
It has since been covered by many artists, including Dean Martin, Lee Ann Womack, Loretta Lynn, Elvis Costello, and Jimmy Buffett.
Patsy Cline is often referenced by artists as a major influence on their career and this song is just one of the many, many reasons why.
