Richie McDonald – “How Do I Just Stop”
Songwriters: Tommy Lee James and Richie McDonald.
In an election year full of tough questions and partisan bickering, former Lonestar-frontman-gone-Christian-crooner Richie McDonald offers some much-needed common ground. “How Do I Just Stop” is so gloriously simple and unequivocally lackluster that people of every political persuasion should rejoice in the opportunity to come together and have a hearty laugh at its expense.
Almost everything about the song and performance is comically heavy-handed. In fact, the clarity of its vision is sort of refreshing; it’s a relief to find a song that tells you exactly what to think every step of the way. Who needs all that ambiguity and guesswork anyway? Listening to music should be easy. Here, the moody piano intro, hushed verses building to power-pop choruses, strings and echo effects applied injudiciously, and typically emotional delivery by McDonald all point to this being a real heartbreaker of a song.
And it is a real heartbreaker of a song. Just not in the way it wants to be.
It’s heartbreaking, for instance, that the singer’s hurt at losing his former wife/mistress/live-in girlfriend (we’re not told) apparently runs so deep that he can’t bear to reveal any meaningful details about her, their relationship, or the circumstances of the break-up. In fact, we wouldn’t even know she’s female if not for a single utterance of “girl” halfway through the song. Without that one word, this could have been the first(?) country song about the dissolution of a gay marriage, which at least would have made it interesting for its novelty. As it stands, the closest we get to concrete detail is “Your eyes, your smile/So many things I’m gonna miss.” Even a hackneyed “blue eyes” and “pretty smile” would be more descriptive.
All we know for sure is that she has eyes and a mouth. Well, gosh, that narrows down the possibilities and completely explains why the singer is hooked on her of all people. Thanks for clearing that up, Richie.
It’s also heartbreaking that the genre that once gave us great break-up songs like “Walking the Floor Over You” and “She Thinks I Still Care” is now producing pap like this. Of course, it’s a short hop from sadness to laughter, and McDonald’s overcooked tearjerker just might be one of the most unintentionally hilarious songs of the year.
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November 20, 2008 at 8:53 am
WOW! Just when I thought that Jimmy Wayne’s most recent releases would be the most melodramatic, unintentionally funny cuts all year, this song proves to be some stiff competition…how does this bozo listen to such dreck and feel ok with releasing it to the public?
November 20, 2008 at 8:56 am
I’ve always liked Richie’s voice. But it got lost in this production. I had a hard time picking out the vocals and understanding the lyrics. But the song wasnt impressive enough for me to give it a second listen to try to get all the lyrics.
November 20, 2008 at 9:04 am
I loved him on Lonestar’s “Tequila Talking” and “You Walked In,” before the group went into its “Mr. Mom” phase. This is terrible though…is it just me or is the piano intro totally “Total Eclipse of the Heart”?
November 20, 2008 at 9:20 am
You’re right Karlie, I can picture the singer from the wedding scene in “Old School” belting out to that intro….
November 20, 2008 at 9:26 am
i’m not convinced this is about a living being. “she” does indeed have a mouth and eyes. it could be a blow-up doll that he’s singing about.
November 20, 2008 at 9:27 am
so mr. mcdonald wants to stop. but he just needs to know how, apparently.
folks, let’s all get together and help richie
mcdonald stop. don’t buy this record. soon enough, richie mcdonald will stop. problem solved.
November 20, 2008 at 10:13 am
Mikeky: I lol’d at both your responses.
As for this, yeah. Typical 21st Century Richie McDonald. I think only Craig Morgan oversings worse than he does, although it’s pretty close. This *is* at least in the same vein as latter-day Lonestar. I still can’t believe that sippy-cup era Lonestar was 80% of the same band that gave us such greats as “No News”, “Heartbroke Every Day” and “Everything’s Changed”.
November 20, 2008 at 10:55 am
Mikey, the bizarre artist Unknown Hinson has already covered the realm of a love song to an inflatable doll with “Polly Urethane” on his Capitol Nashville debut album “The Future Is Unknown”. Hinson’s song is head and shoulders (and eyes and a mouth) above Richie’s dreck and has more depth and pathos (as in “pathologic”).
I will never forgive Richie for “Mr. Mom” and Lonestar’s role in the sippy-cup movement even if he’s not personally responsible. I think Marty Rayborn from Shenandoah is a far more interesting artist musically and his solo career never made it far on Top 40 radio (although he’s doing okay in the Christian music arena).
November 20, 2008 at 11:56 am
I think all of you have NO taste at all! Our local radio station had it on love it or leave it a few weeks ago and it was 79% love it. I don’t know what is the matter with all of you! This is a very powerful song and nobody can sing it better than Richie!!!!!
November 20, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Ruth: Why do *you* like it? 79% love it isn’t too great, that’s only C+. This is about what I’d give the song too as it’s not awful or cringingly cliché, but still nothing special.
November 20, 2008 at 3:33 pm
CM you have outdone yourself here. You manage to laugh where any weaker spirit would cry. You are awesome.
November 20, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Another Unknown Hinson fan! I knew I liked you for a reason, Rick.
And as for this single, I propose that the master tape be loaded into a rocket and sent straight into the sun.
November 20, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I’ll also chime in for Unknown Hinson, his chart toppin’ eyebrows drive the womerns wild!
November 20, 2008 at 3:53 pm
“Only Craig Morgan oversings more than he does”
Hilarious stuff … good take.
November 20, 2008 at 5:14 pm
There is a 100% A+ chance I will change the station if I hear this song on the radio.
November 20, 2008 at 5:51 pm
That is horrible. Another sign that all Nashville can create is overly produced garbage.
November 20, 2008 at 6:49 pm
He left Lonestar to make this recording…pity-even at their worst they were better than this.
November 20, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I see this as a beautifully orchestrated,haunting ballad from Richie.The beginning low tones only draw you in to the unanswered questions and the pain of loss.Anyone who has been in that situation could relate.He doesn’t have to describe everything about”her”for you to understand what she meant to him.This was not overdone…it was done right!He’s a class act all the way.
November 24, 2008 at 8:27 am
Ruth hit it right on the nose that Richie’s vocals are stellar and would all of you honestly relate better if he defined blue, brown or hazel eyes or gray, brunette, blonde hair? Come on, the just of the song is about heartbreak and there’s no discounting the intensity of sadness that results from a fallen relationship, whatever it may be. Divorce and broken relationships are prevalent more in the 21st century than ever before and Toby Keith’s latest is a reflection of this. Good for Richie for releasing this song!
January 9, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I love Richie’s new song “How Do I Just Stop”.
January 9, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Me too Connie, I love the new song! And calling Richie a bozo was not very nice. He is one of the most humble and talented song writers I have known and has released and written some wonderful songs. He is family oriented, which is a good thing. I also loved Mr. Mom too. Families today need good clean music to listen too, and that is what you find in Richie McDonald’s songs. I thought this review was not real fair to Richie!!
August 7, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I love this song, I lost my husband in November around the same time it came out. It has been a great comfort to me. I love all his songs he is great
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