Besides these two songs, five more of Montgomery's singles have reached the top of the country charts: "I Love the Way You Love Me", "Be My Baby Tonight", "If You've Got Love", "I Can Love You Like That", and "The Little Girl", while thirteen more have reached Top Ten. Montgomery's recordings of "I Swear" and "I Can Love You Like That" were both released concurrently with R&B versions by the group All-4-One. Montgomery has also released eleven studio albums, counting a Christmas album.
John Michael joined the family band (which also included his brother, Eddie Montgomery, who would later join Troy Gentry in the duo Montgomery Gentry) as guitarist before taking the lead singing role when his parents divorced. Afterwards, he made a frugal living on the local honky-tonk scene as a solo artist playing what he referred to as "working man's country." Eventually, Atlantic Records signed him.
This One's Gonna Leave a Mark
John Michael Montgomery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And walked away without a scratch
And I've had my share of backwoods barroom brawls
Been kicked and cussed and busted up
But it was nothin' I couldn't patch
With a Band-Aid or a shot of alcohol
But this one's gonna leave a mark
Her good-bye cut like a knife
Right through this man of steel
Thought that I was tough enough
I could just shake it off
But even when I pretend it doesn't hurt at all
I know deep down in my heart
This one's gonna leave a mark
Lovers came and went but never made a dent
But none were quite like her
I was a fool to not beg her to stay
Filled with pride I just stood by
And never said one word
But I knew the moment that she walked away
This one's gonna leave a mark
One that time won't heal
Her good-bye cut like a knife
Right through this man of steel
Thought that I was taught enough
I could just shake it off
But even when I pretend it doesn't hurt at all
I know deep down in my heart
This one's gonna leave a mark
Thought I was Superman
With a heart of stone and I couldn't feel
Now here I am
Standing all alone and here's the deal
This one's gonna leave a mark
One that time won't heal
Her good-bye cut like a knife
Right through this man of steel
Thought that I was taught enough
I could just shake it off
But even when I pretend it doesn't hurt at all
I know deep down in my heart
This one's gonna leave a mark
I've crashed and burned my old Firebird
And walked away without a scratch
The song “This One’s Gonna Leave A Mark” by John Michael Montgomery is a classic country song that discusses the pain of heartbreak. The lyrics describe the painful loss of a lover that will never heal, unlike other experiences that the singer has been in where he can easily recover. The singer admits to being through some tough experiences but never felt anything like the emotional blow delivered by this particular break-up.
The previous experiences that the singer has had are mostly physical encounters, like getting into fights or car crashes, which can be easily remedied with a band-aid or a shot of alcohol. However, this experience is different because it is emotional rather than physical, and the wound it causes cannot be healed or fixed like a physical one can be. He thought he could ignore her leaving and brush off the pain, but he knows deep down that it will leave an emotional mark on him forever.
Throughout the song, the lyrics showcase the singer’s denial of the pain he’s feeling, which is a common reaction to heartbreak. But at the end of the day, he knows that this particular break-up is different and that it will have a lasting effect on him. The song’s lyrics are relatable for anyone who has ever gone through heartbreak, as it emphasizes that no matter how tough you are or how much you try to ignore your feelings, heartbreak can leave an indelible mark on your heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I've crashed and burned my old Firebird
I've been in plenty of reckless situations before
And walked away without a scratch
I've always been able to get out of trouble unscathed
And I've had my share of backwoods barroom brawls
I've been in some rough fights before
Been kicked and cussed and busted up
I've taken a lot of physical abuse
But it was nothin' I couldn't patch
But I've always been able to recover quickly
With a Band-Aid or a shot of alcohol
From my injuries - either with a quick fix or numbing the pain with alcohol
But this one's gonna leave a mark
However, this one heartbreak is going to hurt me in a way that others never have
One that time won't heal
This hurt will linger for a long time
Her good-bye cut like a knife
Her leaving was painful and sudden
Right through this man of steel
Despite being tough, her leaving has weakened me
Thought that I was tough enough
I believed I could handle anything
I could just shake it off
I could overcome anything with sheer willpower
But even when I pretend it doesn't hurt at all
Even though I try to hide the pain, it still hurts
I know deep down in my heart
I'm aware that this hurt is here to stay
Lovers came and went but never made a dent
I've had other relationships but this one was different
But none were quite like her
She was unique and special in ways no one else was
I was a fool to not beg her to stay
I regret not doing everything in my power to make her stay
Filled with pride I just stood by
My ego got in the way and prevented me from expressing my true feelings
And never said one word
I never showed her how much she meant to me
Thought I was Superman
I thought I was invincible
With a heart of stone and I couldn't feel
I thought I was impervious to heartbreak
Now here I am
But now I'm standing alone
Standing all alone and here's the deal
I'm facing this pain by myself and it's harder than I expected
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID CORY LEE, ELBERT LEE WEST, JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY, JOHNNY PARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind