"Earl Must Perish: The Finest 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner"
Murder-themed ballads have always held a significant place in traditional country music. Although they may be less common in today's country music scene, there still exists a remarkable collection of exceptional songs that explore the theme of men taking the lives of their female romantic counterparts. Conversely, songs that portray women as killers are not as prevalent, but do not fret: the country genre also offers a substantial number of songs that delve into this subject matter. We have compiled a list to showcase these songs.
We had to exclude some obvious choices from this list based on a few criteria. Our main rule was to include only one song per artist, so even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple songs about murder in their repertoire, we could only include one from each of them. Songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all fantastic revenge anthems, but in the end, there were even more popular songs that took their place in the final selection.
The topic was defined in a way that made it more specific and limited. In order for a murder song to be included in this list, it had to involve at least one male victim. Therefore, even though "Martha Divine" by Ashley McBryde is considered one of the best modern murder songs in its genre, it did not qualify. Other notable mentions include "Red Headed Stranger" by Willie Nelson and "If It Hadn't Been for Love" by The SteelDrivers, but they also did not make it onto this list.
The remaining content is genuinely remarkable and wicked, a compilation of the most powerful songs in country music that talk about killing a man. Take a look at the selection below to discover our choices for the top revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that revolve around the idea of murder, particularly murdering the man in your life (or persuading someone else to do it on your behalf). Keep reading, and don't forget to comment if we unintentionally omitted your favorite song about getting rid of your man.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Portraying the Act of Killing Your Partner
Gallery Acknowledgement: Carena Liptak
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