Earl Has to Go: The Top 20 Country Songs About Taking Out Your Partner
Songs about murder have always been a prominent feature in classic country music. While they may not be as common now as they once were, there are still many great songs about men killing their female partners. There are also songs about women committing the act, and we have a list of them.
Several factors eliminated certain popular choices from consideration for this list. We decided to only include one song from each artist, which meant that Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, both known for their songs about revenge, were limited to just one entry each. While songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all strong revenge anthems, they were ultimately edged out by even more popular and impactful songs.
The theme was clear and focused, requiring that any murder song included in the list must have a male victim. This meant that songs like Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" did not qualify, despite their quality. Other songs like Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love" were also notable, but they did not meet the criteria for inclusion on the list.
The remaining selection is a collection of the most memorable and sinister songs in country music that revolve around taking revenge on a man. Browse through the images below to view our choices for the top songs about seeking vengeance and lesser-known tracks on the subject of murder – particularly, killing a man in your life or persuading someone else to do it for you. Keep reading and feel free to share in the comments if we overlooked your preferred song about eliminating a man.
Earl Had to Go: A Collection of the Top 20 Country Songs About Taking Matters into Your Own Hands
Credit for Gallery: Carena Liptak
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