Chris Cagle - “No Love Songs”
Songwriters: George Teren and Craig Wiseman
You know that song by BJ Thomas “Another somebody done somebody wrong song?” Despite it being kind of cheesy and heavy-handed, I love that song. Chris Cagle’s new tune, “No Love Songs”–not so much.
The song kicks off with silly production featuring shakers and zany “ooooh” chants but I was willing to forgive it its lack of seriousness. In fact, I was completely willing to accept it as a summertime, beachball, vaguely mindless anthem. “Ok,” I thought, “so long as it doesn’t overreach and under deliver lyrically, I’ll consider it merely a necessary evil in this day and age of mass-market radio and stadium concert tours.” Unfortunately Chris Cagle had other plans for me.
I don’t think that all songs need to be sad. I really, truly don’t. But you know which songs I think need to be sad? SAD SONGS!
Writers Teren and Wiseman managed to craft a “sad” song without even the slightest hint of tragedy, shame, regret, misery, or existential angst. In fact, the melody on the hook line seems to be constructed specifically to make this one more “fun.” Furthermore, for a song that features a conversation between two people–Cagle is actually one of them, the sad guy recognizes him as “that fella on the TV with the cowboy hat, always playing the guitar”–there is nothing of emotional significance expressed between them; the “sad man” serves as more of a narrative convenience than an actual human being, and Cagle seems like he couldn’t care less about the guy’s problems.
What is Cagle’s response to “sad man’s” problems? “Hey man, listen, check this out, it’s gonna be OK. Alright? I know it hurt, believe me, I know, listen, dude, there’s a lot of fish in the sea.”
Thanks Chris, we can tell how deeply you empathize.
At the end of the song the “sad man” walks away while Chris “the worst guy to be sad around” Cagle is in mid-sentence. That bears repeating. The songwriters had their character leave their song out of disinterest.
What does that tell you?
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Current Discussion
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April 25, 2008 at 11:36 am Permalink
You know, when Chris Cagle was actually recording songs he wrote, they were decent. Ok, sure, he had some clunkers, but “Miss Me Baby” wasnt bad at all. This….oy, this is just bad. Of course, Craig Wiseman is involved so it was either gonna be really sappy or really over the top silly.
April 25, 2008 at 12:06 pm Permalink
Interestingly, I thought Chris was better at writing his own songs too. I think Scott Hendricks might have been a bit of a jerk to convince him that he wasn’t a decent songwriter. I’ve never been a real fan of Cagle, but he did have a few that I enjoyed. I don’t expect artists to write all of their songs, but I hate to see one who does have some talent being convinced otherwise.
April 25, 2008 at 2:15 pm Permalink
That song’s just boring.
April 25, 2008 at 7:23 pm Permalink
I dont think there’s anything wrong with the song itself. I had a hard time hearing the lyrics because of the production of the song (or maybe it’s just the way it sounded on this link, I havent heard it on cd). I could tell right off this was a Craig song, mostly because it seemed like Chris was trying to hard to sound like Craig. I know a lot of artists do try to copy the demo from the writer and in some cases it works because it also copies the true emotion of the song. In this case though it was the wrong decision because although Craig’s a pretty dang good songwriter, he cant sing worth a toot! I think if Chris had taken this song and sung it with the attitude that he did with “What Kind Of Gone” it would’ve been a lot better. I like the song, I just dont like this particular presentation of it. (PS - George Teren is a good songwriter too.)
May 13, 2008 at 6:31 pm Permalink
No matter how you feel about the narrative type of song you have to admit that the chorus is extremely catchy and addictive. I’ve seen him sing this song live and it’s a highlight of show. Cagle’s songwriting is always incredibly sincere but he still knows how to pick ‘em. There are a few better choices for singles on his new album though.
May 24, 2008 at 9:50 am Permalink
You have to admit that the grass is always greener on the other side and that men in glass houses sink ships. On the other hand you could point out that the industrial revolution ultimately had a huge impact on the outcome of this production. However; you could counter this by using a basic rule of thumb always pack some sandwiches and lettuce, and when thrown in prison keep your soap on a rope.
May 29, 2008 at 1:35 am Permalink
Hendricks didn’t convince Cagle his songs weren’t good enough for the new album. Cagle refused to cut any of his own songs. That’s Cagle trying once again to screw his ex-manager/publisher out of deserved income — you know, the ex-manager/publisher Cagle sued to shirk his contracts, a lawsuit Cagle has lost THREE TIMES, with a ruling that awarded his ex-manager/publisher full rights of the next 83 songs Cagle writes. I doubt we’ll ever see another Cagle song on a Cagle album — IF the guy can keep out of jail from domestic abuse and assault & battery charges long enough to MAKE another album.
June 14, 2008 at 7:07 pm Permalink
i have been wrighting & wrighting emails to chris cagle to date him i’m from
welland ontario ontario canada
i would like chris cagle to pack his
things up and move to welland ontario canada because i have a crush on him
my space ,com is to hard for me to
look up my emails but i can make and
email to chris cagle
what can you to help me get hooked up
up with chris cagle on a date
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