Wells' success in the 1950s and 1960s was so enormous that she still ranks as the sixth most successful female vocalist in the history of the Billboard country charts according to historian Joel Whitburn's book "The Top 40 Country Hits", behind Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, and Tanya Tucker. Wells was the third country music artist, behind Roy Acuff and Hank Williams, to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991 as well as being the seventh woman and first Caucasian woman to receive the honor. In 1976, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
A Wedding Ring Ago
Kitty Wells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gave my heart and soul to you a million tears ago
But you were satisfied at least you told me so-ho-ho
That was just a wedding ring ago I couldn't offer much to you
Just a promise to bring you joy and I was much too young to see
You use me like a toy then one day a stranger came
Her name I did not know-ho-ho that was just a wedding ring ago
[ steel ]
But much too late you realized happiness could not be bought
You left her now you want me back but another's love I know-ho-ho
I made him mine a wedding ring ago
The lyrics to Kitty Wells's song "Wedding Ring Ago" tell the story of a woman who gave everything to her partner, only to be used and discarded. The song begins with the singer responding to her partner's accusations by asserting that she was not solely to blame for the relationship's failure. She had given her heart and soul to him, but as she sings, "you were satisfied at least you told me so." The singer reveals that she may not have been able to offer much to her partner except for a promise to bring him joy. She was too young to recognize that he was using her "like a toy."
The turning point of the song comes when the singer recounts the arrival of a female stranger who becomes her rival for her partner's affections. The stranger is a millionaire, which is seemingly what the partner has been searching for all this time. Eventually, the partner realizes that he cannot purchase happiness and returns to the singer, hoping to reconcile. However, the singer has moved on and has found love with someone else. She reminds him that he had his chance, but that was "just a wedding ring ago."
The lyrics of "Wedding Ring Ago" touch on themes of heartbreak, self-worth, and growth. The singer recognizes that she allowed herself to be used and undervalued by her partner, and ultimately decides to move on and find someone who loves her for who she is. The song also highlights the pitfalls of valuing money and material possessions over love and emotional connection.
Line by Line Meaning
You say that I was all to blame that's untrue because you know
You're accusing me of wrongdoing, but you know it's not true.
I gave my heart and soul to you a million tears ago
I devoted myself completely to you a long time ago and shed countless tears in the process.
But you were satisfied at least you told me so-ho-ho
You claimed to be content with me, but that was just a facade.
That was just a wedding ring ago I couldn't offer much to you
It's been a while, and at the time, all I could provide was a wedding ring.
Just a promise to bring you joy and I was much too young to see
All I could offer was a pledge to make you happy, and I was too inexperienced to realize the truth.
You use me like a toy then one day a stranger came
You treated me like a plaything and then one day, someone I didn't know appeared.
Her name I did not know-ho-ho that was just a wedding ring ago
I didn't even know her name, and that was just a short time after our wedding.
[ steel ]
(instrumental break)
She was a millionaire it was what you wanted you thought
She was wealthy, and that's what you wanted and believed would be good for us.
But much too late you realized happiness could not be bought
However, you came to the bitter realization too late that money couldn't buy happiness.
You left her now you want me back but another's love I know-ho-ho
You abandoned her, and now you want me back, but I'm with someone else now.
I made him mine a wedding ring ago
I committed myself to him, and it's been a while since we tied the knot.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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garry after8
I like the later recorded version....and I love the later Honky Tonk Angels & Amigo's Guitar better than the origs. too....
MoJoPiano
Now this will shock you Lilly, and the dyed-in-the-wool Kitty fans out here, and there are still MANY of them, will probably string me up for saying this, but this is one of the very few songs that Kitty recorded in her long and amazing career that I never cared for. I just never liked the song. That said, thank you for posting it Lilly. This song was part of the legendery trail she blazed in country music. Mike
Robert Best
Are you serious?........Are you serious?
Tia Mcleod
My grandmother
MoJoPiano
You bet I am. . . . . . but just my humble opinion (for what little it's worth). Mike