Sissy's Song
| "Sissy's Song" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Sissy's Song" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Alan Jackson. It was released in March 2009 as the fourth single from his album Good Time, and his fifty-sixth single release overall. Jackson wrote the song after the sudden death of a housekeeper that worked at his house.
Content
"Sissy's Song" is an acoustic mid-tempo country ballad, written by Jackson as a tribute to a housekeeper named Leslie "Sissy" Fitzgerald, who worked daily at Jackson's house.[1][2] Jackson wrote the song after Sissy died in a motorcycle accident on May 20, 2007. He then went to the recording studio, and working with longtime producer Keith Stegall, made a recording of the song with just his vocals and steel-string acoustic guitar to be played for the family at her funeral.[1] The song expresses Jackson's feeling for Sissy, in addition to hoping that "she flew up to heaven on the wings of angels."
Reception
Karlie Justus, of Engine 145, gave the song a "thumbs up" rating. She said that the song was both "deeply personal and universally relatable", and that it showed his sense for simplicity and authenticity. However, she considered some of the lyrics stilted and cliché in nature.[3] Lynn Douglas, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B+ rating. She described the song as "a reflective and moving experience." [4]
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Scott Scovill. It is shot in black-and-white and is at a church and it features footage of Jackson performing the song. It was shot in a historic church, located south of Nashville.
Chart performance
"Sissy's Song" debuted at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the chart week of February 28, 2009.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 61 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7] | 67 |
References
- ^ a b "Alan Jackson drops "Sissy's Song"". Country Standard Time. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
- ^ Price, Deborah Evans (2009-04-22). "Story behind the song: "Sissy's Song"". The Boot. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- ^ Justus, Karlie (2009-02-26). "Alan Jackson - "Sissy's Song"". Engine 145. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
- ^ Coyne, Kevin John (2009-03-25). "Alan Jackson - "Sissy's Song"". Country Universe. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Alan Jackson Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.