Birthday: December 25th, 1948

First #1 Hit: The Midnight Oil (1973)<… Read Full Bio ↴Birthday: December 25th, 1948

First #1 Hit: The Midnight Oil (1973)

From 1980 to 1981, she and her two sisters hosted the last successful variety show, "Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters", on NBC.

In 1984, she and her two children were involved in a severe automobile accident, leaving her with serious injuries. All three were taken to Baptist Hospital in Nashville.

After giving her final concert performance at the Grand Old Opry House on October 23rd, 1997, she later moved into acting on the short lived soap opera, "Sunset Beach" on NBC.

In October 2006, she was honored with the release of a new tribute album "She Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute To Barbara Mandrell" on BNA Records.

Till You're Gone
Barbara Mandrell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

How many days
How many ways
Do I have to lose you
'Til you're gone?
How many nights
How many lonely nights
Do I have to lose you darlin'
'Til you're gone?

It happens every time
I think I'm gettin' over you
Something 'bout somebody new
Gets me thinkin' about you

How many times
How many times
Do I have to lose you
'Til you're gone?

I see you on the Late Show
I hear you on the radio
Darlin' everywhere I go
Your memory is there

How many times
How many times
Do I have to lose you
'Til you're gone?

(How many times?) I wanna know
(How many times?)
Do I have to lose you Darlin'...'til you're gone?
(How many times?)
How many days.....how many nights.....'til you're gone?

(How many times?) I wanna know
(How many times?) I wanna know Darlin'

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Barbara Mandrell's song "Till You're Gone" speak to the pain and confusion that comes with trying to move on from a past relationship. The opening lines ask, "How many days? How many ways? Do I have to lose you 'til you're gone?" It's clear that the singer still hasn't gotten over their former partner, despite likely making efforts to do so.

The next verse introduces an interesting dynamic - the idea that someone new in the singer's life is actually making them think of their ex even more. "It happens every time. I think I'm gettin' over you. Something 'bout somebody new gets me thinkin' about you." This is a relatable concept - often when we try to move forward we find ourselves unintentionally revisiting old memories and feelings.

The third and final verse mentions seeing and hearing their ex everywhere they go, indicating just how difficult it is to truly escape someone you used to love. "I see you on the Late Show. I hear you on the radio. Darlin' everywhere I go, your memory is there." The repeated chorus of "How many times do I have to lose you 'til you're gone?" underscores the central theme of the song - the inability to fully let go.

Line by Line Meaning

How many days
Asking how long it will take to lose the person till they're gone

How many ways
Asking for the possible ways they could lose the person till they're gone

Do I have to lose you
Questioning the level of loss required to make the person gone

'Til you're gone?
Asking about the point at which the person would finally leave

How many nights
Asking about the number of lonely nights required to lose the person

Do I have to lose you darlin'
Asking if losing the person in a romantic sense is required to make them gone

It happens every time
Acknowledging that thoughts of the person keep returning

I think I'm gettin' over you
Believing that the feelings for the person are diminishing

Something 'bout somebody new
A new person evokes memories of the original person

Gets me thinkin' about you
Thoughts of the original person return

How many times
Asking how many times they must lose the person before they're gone

I see you on the Late Show
The person appears on TV, bringing back memories

I hear you on the radio
The person's voice is heard on the radio, causing thoughts of them

Darlin' everywhere I go
No matter where the singer goes, they are reminded of the person

Your memory is there
Memories of the person are present everywhere

(How many times?) I wanna know
The singer seeks an answer to the question

(How many times?)
Reiterating the question

I wanna know Darlin'
Expressing the urgency to find out

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOM BRASFIELD, WALT ALDRIDGE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Jim Cholley

THE TOP 50 BILLBOARD ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE
HOT COUNTRY SINGLES
forty years ago
1982

Number 11

'TIL YOU'RE GONE
Barbara Mandrell

Words & music by
Walt Aldridge, Tommy Brasfield

Produced by
Tom Collins for
Barbara Mandrell Productions

MCA Records
MCA-52038

From the Album
...IN BLACK & WHITE

First Chart Date:
Saturday, May 1, 1982

57-40-31-24-18-16-13-11-8-6-3-1-6-19-35-48-63-92-98

Last Chart Date:
Saturday, September 4, 1982

Total weeks on the chart:
19

Peak Position on the chart:
1 [1 week]

All comments from YouTube:

DomenicDee

13y↑6

One of her all time best. This one's definitely a classic!

Scott Yoggerst

Barbara Mandrell is the Best. Love this song and her vocals are outstanding!!

Daniel R

5y↑3

My favorite Barbara Mandrell song of all time

mkl62

7y↑1

A #1 hit for Barbara Mandrell on the Country & Western charts. It was the 612th #1 C&W song of the Rock Era.

Loren Nicholls

7y↑2

another long lost 80's song still sounds great

collectorvinyl45s

12y↑2

Love that sax. This is one song I get tired of hearing. Watched her every Saturday night. My first concert was Barbara Mandrell. Got to see her 3 times.

OmahaNipp

13y↑1

One of my all time country favorites!!! TRUE COUNTRY!!!

JayDogTitan 1464

This is one of her best, I couldn't remember the title, Glad I found it.

Dave Wollenberg

8y↑3

Barbara hit #1 on ACC, 7-17-82. Happy New Year, Sugar!

Connie Martin

Love listening to the best, Barbara Mandrell.

Anthony K

12y↑1

sooooo many good memories brought back hearing her again

timothy myers N4TCM

7y↑2

The lady drove me crazy growing up with that face, smile & that voice.

Caden Monier

Barbara you are a great country singer and you will be my one of my favorites forever
Caden Monier

Dave Wollenberg

14y↑3

Did Barbara play sax on this 1. After all, she did on her TV show, right, gang? Anyway, hit #1 in Billboard, 7-17-82. God bless you, sister Barbara!

Dave Wollenberg

10y↑5

Actually, it was man named Ron Oates, who played the sax on it. Info from the Billboard book of #1 country hits. Thanks, Tom Roland, for the skinny.

Connie Martin

8y↑1

During the live performances, Dino Pastin played the sax along with Barbara. Next to steel guitar, saxophone was her instrument. She is also proficient in guitar, mandolin, & dobro.

Rhonda C

4y↑1

From Behind the Opry Curtain:
At the time, the Opry frowned on bringing “noncountry” instruments onto its stage. And of the show’s cast members, no one was more traditional than Roy Acuff. “All of a sudden, there was a knock on the dressing-room door. Daddy says, ‘Mr. Acuff wants to see you.’ I’m paraphrasing here, but what he said to me was precious. He said, ‘I want you to go get that saxophone, and I want you to do that hit song of yours right now.’ I said, ‘Mr. Acuff, I don’t need to. I can do other songs.’ He said, ‘No, you got that hit record, and you go play it.’ He totally made me [take the sax onto the Opry stage]. I couldn’t believe it. Mr. Acuff introduced me, and I did the song. If somebody else would have told me that story, or if I hadn’t lived it, I wouldn’t believe it.”

Shirley Shawhan

3y↑1

Great story!

Dave Wollenberg

12y↑1

When I 1st heard this song, I thought it was Barbara on the sax, 'cause she played it on her TV show, with Louise, and Irlene. It wasn't her, though. ACC's #16 song of '82. God bless ya, sister Barbara. Thanx for postin' it. Have a blessed week!

LIFEwithUNCLE

She did play tge sax at times

Connie Martin

Dino Pastin played sax in her band The Do-Rites. Barbara is also great on the saxophone.

Mike Rhoades

good song!

Bruce Hedrick

12y↑1

You have Barbara singing "Darlin'" ?? It's nowhere on youtube with her singing it, yet she did a beautiful take of it in 1976 on an episode of the Rockford Files.