By the late '50s Bonnie was recording on the Mar-Vel label with Fuzzy and his band, the Sun Valley Playboys. She cut a well-received duet album with Fuzzy, her sometime boyfriend, on Tally Records, which would later be re-released on Capitol Records as "Just Between the Two of Us." In 1961, Bonnie saw Haggard singing for the first time at a Lefty Frizzell concert. At the time, Haggard was just a few months out of San Quentin prison for breaking and entering. By 1964 Fuzzy was managing Haggard and suggested that Bonnie and Haggard re-record "Just Between the Two of Us." Taking Fuzzy's advice paid off; the song hit the top of the country charts but not for long. It was replaced by "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers," Haggard's breakthrough single.
In 1965 Haggard signed with Capitol Records, married Bonnie, and signed the Strangers (including Bonnie) with a booking agency owned in part by Buck. Bonnie's marriage to Haggard lasted until 1978, but the two had already separated in 1975. Eventually Bonnie resumed touring with the Strangers in the late '70s and remarried for the final time to Fred McMillenher. She continued to tour regularly with Haggard and the Strangers. While Bonnie released half a dozen albums and numerous singles on Capitol Records in the mid- to late '60s, she remained satisfied singing backup as a member of the Strangers.
You Don't Have Far To Go
Bonnie Owens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know why you want to hurt me so
But if you're trying to break my heart you don't have very far to go
You don't have very far to go before the heartaches begin
I already feel the sadness of a heartbreak settin' in
You're turning down the flame of love too low
If you're trying to break my heart you don't have very far to go
[ steel ]
I already feel the sadness of a heartbreak settin' in
You can't love me and still want to hurt me so
If you're trying to break my heart you don't have very far to go
In Bonnie Owens's "You Don't Have Far To Go," the singer is in a dysfunctional relationship in which her partner constantly aims to hurt her pride. Not only does the partner derive satisfaction from her tears, but the singer also senses that this person enjoys breaking her heart. Despite struggling to understand why her significant other wants to hurt her, the singer concedes that they do not have far to go to achieve their heart-breaking aim. The singer feels the onset of sadness as the flame of love burns low, and she begins to comprehend that most of the emotional damage has already been done. The song is about the relentless tension and pain of constantly walking on eggshells around someone who is determined to hurt you.
The song highlights the idea of a love-hate relationship that is mostly characterized by the latter. The singer's partner loves her but still aims to hurt her emotionally. The irony is that the partner's aim is to break her heart, but the damage is already done before they even achieve that. This song is a lamentation of the emotional toll in such an unstable relationship. The singer has to live with the constant emotional pain and is helpless in the face of their partner's emotional abuse.
Line by Line Meaning
You always find the way to hurt my pride if I'm not crying you're not satisfied
You constantly seek ways to belittle and hurt me, and seem to derive pleasure only when I'm miserable and shedding tears.
I don't know why you want to hurt me so
I'm clueless on your motivation for causing me such emotional pain.
But if you're trying to break my heart you don't have very far to go
If your objective is to shatter my romantic hopes and dreams, it won't take much effort since you're already causing me so much agony.
You don't have very far to go before the heartaches begin
You're already on the verge of causing me great emotional suffering; a little more and it'll be unbearable.
I already feel the sadness of a heartbreak settin' in
Even at this early stage, I'm already experiencing the sorrow of heartbreak engulfing me.
You're turning down the flame of love too low
Your affection for me is dwindling, and you're deliberately suppressing the flames of our love.
If you're trying to break my heart you don't have very far to go
In case your chief aim is breaking my heart, you're already halfway there.
You can't love me and still want to hurt me so
It's impossible to genuinely love me while harboring a strong desire to wound me emotionally.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kenneth Lingle
Sing it to us country lady. Beautiful song, beautiful sound by lovely Bonnie Owens. She was one of the best. RIP beautiful lady.......
yoshitau
This is one of my favorite Merle Haggard and Red Simpson tune recorded on Tally label. Bonnie Owens is my best
favorite female singer in '60s and best duet partner for Merle, I believe. I love her a lot.
ron kistner
Bonnie RIP
Megan Martin
Beautiful & very Talented Ms. Bonnie, none no better.
Megan Martin
should be Mary Martin , not Megan Martin
christine gott
Would love to have seen buck and Bonnie sing live together. However I did have an opportunity to see buck live in crystal palace. Miss u buck.
Jeanie Mireles
My queen
latokatn506
Excellent Talent Of Our Time !!!
Emilio Vaquero Martin
Bonnie With Haggard . Haggard with Bonnie . One Privilege
mac26x98
Thanks for post one of countries best.