B-side "We Got Love" Format 7" Genre Country | Released June 1966 (U.S.) Recorded January 1966 Length 2:56 | |
"Almost Persuaded" is a song written by Glenn Sutton and Muscle Shoals songwriter Billy Sherrill and first recorded by David Houston in 1966. It is not to be confused with the Christian hymn of the same name.
Contents
The song is about a married man who, while patronizing a tavern, sees a beautiful young woman and is instantly smitten. Forgetting that he is married, he nearly succumbs to temptation. However, when the two share a slow dance on the floor, he sees the reflection of his wedding band and, remembering his vows to his wife, leaves.
Legacy
"Almost Persuaded" spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart starting in August 1966 and has since gone on to become a country standard. The song was also a moderate pop hit, reaching twenty-four on the Billboard pop chart and was David Houston's only top 40 entry on the pop charts.
For 46 years and two months, no No. 1 song matched the chart-topping longevity of "Almost Persuaded," until Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" notched its ninth week atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart the week of December 15, 2012. Swift would surpass Houston with the January 12, 2013, chart, when the song returned to No. 1 for a 10th non-consecutive week (after having fallen back to No. 2 for three weeks). Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" quickly overtook Swift and stayed at No. 1 for 24 weeks, now the all-time record on that chart.
The song won a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording of 1966.
Other versions
Some cover versions of this song include: