Earl Had to Die: 20 Exceptional 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 not be as common in contemporary times, there remains a rich collection of remarkable songs about men murdering their female lovers. However, it is less frequent to come across songs that portray women committing such acts. Nevertheless, the country genre still offers a substantial selection of songs that delve into this subject matter, and we have curated a list to showcase them.
In order to narrow down the selection for this list, we set a few criteria. We decided to choose only one song per artist, which meant that popular country singers Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who have multiple songs about murder in their repertoire, were each only given one spot. Songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, but ultimately, other songs that were even more popular took precedence and were included in the final selection.
The theme of the list was quite specific, which helped to further narrow down the selection. In order for a murder song to be included, it needed to have at least one male victim. Unfortunately, this meant that Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine," despite being a fantastic modern murder song in the genre, did not qualify. Some notable mentions include Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love," but they also did not make the final list.
The remaining content is remarkably impressive and wicked, featuring a compilation of the most powerful songs in country music that express the desire to harm someone. Take a look at the selection below to discover our top choices for revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that revolve around the theme of murder, particularly targeting the man in one's life or persuading someone else to do it. Continue reading and feel free to inform us in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about eliminating your partner.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
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