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Country

Vern Gosdin – That Just About Does It

Vern Gosdin | iHeart

About the Song

In the realm of country music, heartache and longing are as common themes as front porches and sweet tea. Vern Gosdin, a true master of the genre, embodied these sentiments with a voice that resonated with both pain and resilience. His 1989 ballad, That Just About Does It, stands as a testament to his artistry, capturing the complexities of love’s trials and the enduring hope that flickers within the human heart.

That Just About Does It opens with a gentle guitar strumming, setting the stage for Gosdin’s emotive vocals. The lyrics paint a picture of a love story gone awry, where the narrator’s partner has repeatedly broken their trust and caused them pain. The chorus, with its repetitive phrase “That just about does it,” serves as a poignant refrain, emphasizing the weight of the narrator’s emotional burdens.

Gosdin’s voice, characterized by its rich, aching quality, perfectly conveys the depth of the narrator’s despair. Each note carries the weight of unfulfilled promises and shattered dreams. Yet, amidst the sorrow, there lies a glimmer of hope. The narrator acknowledges that while their partner’s actions have caused them immense hurt, they cannot deny the lingering love they still hold.

The bridge of the song offers a brief respite from the heartache, with a shift in tempo and a touch of steel guitar. This momentary instrumental interlude provides a sense of reflection, allowing the narrator to gather their emotional strength before returning to the chorus.

That Just About Does It concludes with a repetition of the chorus, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of the narrator’s inner turmoil. The song’s power lies in its ability to capture the universality of heartache, while also offering a glimmer of hope that even in the darkest of times, love can still endure. Vern Gosdin’s masterful performance elevates the song to a timeless classic, a poignant reminder of the complexities and enduring power of human emotion.Vern Gosdin, a Singer-Songwriter in Country Music, Dies at 74 - The New York Times

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Lyrics: That Just About Does It

Every night you go to bed crying
There’s nothing left to do when love is dying
So before the whole world knows how we’re hurtin’
Don’t you think it’s time we pulled the curtainsSo many times I talked you out of leavin’
And so many times you’ve tried to fight the feeling
I guess we’ve tried and failed once too often
Now the suitcase down the hallway does the talkingThat just about does it, don’t it?
That’ll just about kill it, won’t it?
Maybe we should call a truce
We could but what’s the use?
That just about does it, don’t it?

It’s sad to think that words could come between us
And what I said, God knows, I didn’t mean it
It’s time we realized this time it’s over
It’s tearing us apart to stay together

And that just about does it, don’t it?
That’ll just about kill it, won’t it?
Maybe we should call a truce
We could but what’s the use?
That just about does it, don’t it?

Maybe we should call a truce
We could but what’s the use?
That just about does it, don’t it?

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