George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American mu… Read Full Bio ↴George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", as well as his distinctive voice and phrasing. For the last two decades of his life, Jones was frequently referred to as the greatest living country singer. Country music scholar Bill Malone writes, "For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics, and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved." Waylon Jennings expressed a similar opinion in his song "It's Alright": "If we all could sound like we wanted to, we'd all sound like George Jones." The shape of his nose and facial features earned Jones the nickname "The Possum".

Born in Texas, Jones first heard country music when he was seven, and was given a guitar at the age of nine. He married his first wife, Dorothy Bonvillion, in 1950, and was divorced in 1951. He served in the United States Marine Corps and was discharged in 1953. He married Shirley Ann Corley in 1954. In 1959, Jones recorded "White Lightning", written by J. P. Richardson, which launched his career as a singer. His second marriage ended in divorce in 1968; he married fellow country music singer Tammy Wynette a year later. Years of alcoholism compromised his health and led to his missing many performances, earning him the nickname "No Show Jones". After his divorce from Wynette in 1975, Jones married his fourth wife, Nancy Sepulvado, in 1983 and became sober for good in 1999. Jones died in 2013, aged 81, from hypoxic respiratory failure.

George Jones has been called "The Rolls Royce Of Country Music" and had more than 160 chart singles to his name from 1955 until his death in 2013. Johnny Cash once said, "When people ask me who my favorite country singer is, I say, 'You mean besides George Jones?'"

Jones tirelessly defended the integrity of country music, telling Billboard in 2006, "It's never been for love of money. I thank God for it because it makes me a living. But I sing because I love it, not because of the dollar signs." Jones also went out of his way to promote younger country singers that he felt were as passionate about the music as he was. "Everybody knows he's a great singer," Alan Jackson stated in 1995, "but what I like most about George is that when you meet him, he is like some old guy that works down at the gas station...even though he's a legend!"

Shortly after Jones' death, Andrew Mueller wrote about his influence in Uncut, "He was one of the finest interpretive singers who ever lifted a microphone...There cannot be a single country songwriter of the last 50-odd years who has not wondered what it might be like to hear their words sung by that voice." In an article for The Texas Monthly in 1994, Nick Tosches eloquently described the singer's vocal style: "While he and his idol, Hank Williams, have both affected generations with a plaintive veracity of voice that has set them apart, Jones has an additional gift—a voice of exceptional range, natural elegance, and lucent tone. Gliding toward high tenor, plunging toward deep bass, the magisterial portamento of his onward-coursing baritone emits white-hot sparks and torrents of blue, investing his poison love songs with a tragic gravity and inflaming his celebrations of the honky-tonk ethos with the hellfire of abandon." In the New Republic essay "Why George Jones ranks with Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday," David Hajdu writes:

"Jones had a handsome and strange voice. His singing was always partly about the appeal of the tones he produced, regardless of the meaning of the words. In this sense, Jones had something in common with singers of formal music and opera, though his means of vocal production were radically different from theirs. He sang from the back of his throat, rather than from deep in his diaphragm. He tightened his larynx to squeeze sound out. He clenched his jaw, instead of wriggling it free. He forced wind through his teeth, and the notes sounded weirdly beautiful."

David Cantwell recalled in 2013, "His approach to singing, he told me once, was to call up those memories and feelings of his own that most closely corresponded to those being felt by the character in whatever song he was performing. He was a kind of singing method actor, creating an illusion of the real." In the liner notes to Essential George Jones: The Spirit of Country Rich Kienzle states, "Jones sings of people and stories that are achingly human. He can turn a ballad into a catharsis by wringing every possible emotion from it, making it a primal, strangled cry of anguish". In 1994, country music historian Colin Escott pronounced, "Contemporary country music is virtually founded on reverence for George Jones. Walk through a room of country singers and conduct a quick poll, George nearly always tops it." In the wake of Jones's death, Merle Haggard pronounced in Rolling Stone, "His voice was like a Stradivarius violin: one of the greatest instruments ever made." Emmylou Harris wrote, "when you hear George Jones sing, you are hearing a man who takes a song and makes it a work of art - always," a quote that appeared on the sleeve of Jones' 1976 album The Battle. In the documentary Same Ole Me, several country music stars offer similar thoughts. Randy Travis: "It sounds like he's lived every minute of every word that he sings and there's very few people who can do that"; Tom T. Hall: "It was always Jones who got the message across just right"; and Roy Acuff: "I'd give anything if I could sing like George Jones". In the same film, producer Billy Sherrill states, "All I did was change the instrumentation around him. I don't think he's changed at all."

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed George Jones among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

What My Woman Can't Do
George Jones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What my woman can't do, can't be done

It amazes me how she can change my mind
When it seems to be impossible, she can do it every time
And the way she always loves me, she's got that down perfect too
I keep asking myself what is it the lady can't do?

She brightens any room, she walks inside

And the way she comes in smilin', you'd never think she ever cries
She still looks as young and pretty as she did the day we met
If there is one thing bad about her, I ain't found it yet

What it is my woman can't do, can't be done
If there's ever been a darling, I've got one
She beats all I've ever seen, she's the champion of our team

What my woman can't do, can't be done
What my woman can't do, can't be done

Overall Meaning

In George Jones's song "What My Woman Can't Do", the singer expresses his admiration and appreciation for his partner, reflecting on all the incredible things she can do. He is amazed by her ability to change his mind, even when he thought it was impossible, and her unwavering love for him. He highlights her positivity, stating that she brightens up any room she enters with her infectious smile and youthful appearance. He concludes by claiming that there is nothing she cannot do, as she is the champion of their team and beats all he has ever seen.

The song is a beautiful tribute to the singer's love and admiration for his partner. It highlights the importance of appreciating the people we love and recognizing their strengths and abilities. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, making it easy for listeners to relate to and empathize with the emotion behind them. The melody is catchy and upbeat, further emphasizing the joy and happiness the singer feels in his relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

What my woman can't do, can't be done
My woman is capable of doing anything and everything, there is nothing she can't do

It amazes me how she can change my mind
Her ability to persuade me is astounding, even when I thought my mind was made up, she has a way of changing it

When it seems to be impossible, she can do it every time
She has an incredible ability to get the job done even when the task seems impossible

And the way she always loves me, she's got that down perfect too
Her love for me is flawless and she always shows it in the perfect manner

I keep asking myself what is it the lady can't do?
I am constantly in awe of her abilities and wonder what is it that she cannot do

She brightens any room, she walks inside
Her positive energy is infectious and she can light up any room she enters

And the way she comes in smilin', you'd never think she ever cries
Despite any personal struggles, she always puts on a brave face and greets everyone with a smile

She still looks as young and pretty as she did the day we met
She has managed to maintain her youth and beauty throughout the years and I am still as mesmerized by her today as I was when we first met

If there is one thing bad about her, I ain't found it yet
I have searched for flaws in her character and actions, but have yet to find anything negative about her

If there's ever been a darling, I've got one
I am lucky to have a woman as wonderful as her in my life

She beats all I've ever seen, she's the champion of our team
She surpasses anyone I have ever known and is the driving force behind our success as a team

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: George Jones, Earl Montgomery, Billy Sherrill

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Muzikgirl67

11y↑7

JUST AS GOOD AS GOLD!!...Thank you sooooo much for posting and sharing this lil' country ditty that reached #6 in the spring of 1973...I thoroughly enjoyed it!...(and the sound quality is excellent too!!)...take care :)