"All These Years" is a song written by

Mac McAnally Lyman Corbitt McAnally Jr. (; born July 15, 1957), known professionally as Mac McAnally, is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician, and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. ...

, originally recorded on his 1992 album ''Live and Learn''. It was later recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

group

Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown is an American country music band. It was founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by Mark Miller (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard (keyboards, vocals), Bobby Randall (lead guitar, vocals), Joe "Curly" Smyth (drums), and ...

. It was released in November 1992 as the second single from their album '' Cafe on the Corner''. Their version peaked at 3 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot Country Singles & Tracks Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

(now

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

) chart, in addition to being a minor AC hit, peaking at 42 on the

Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...

chart.

Content

The song opens with the story with an apparently serially unfaithful wife ("She likes adventure with security; and more than one man can provide") having an affair, and her husband catching her in a tryst ("She planned adventure feeling sure that he; Would not be home ‘til after five.") Frustrated at the betrayal, he tells her he's been responsible and has been working hard to provide, despite their issues ("And I'm still here, until I'm gone.") He frustratingly realizes he can't trust her: "Don't you rub it in too hard that I've been wrong." The wife responds, "You're not the man you used to be" to which he clarifies "Neither is this guy." She acknowledges both of their roles in the couple's issues ("There's some things you refuse to see; But I guess sometimes so do I.") She states what she has done for the family, while he was working, she took care of their house and home and raised the family ("I made your supper and your daughter and your son,") and sees how much she stands to lose ("Still I'm here, and still confused; But I can finally see how much I stand to lose.") The repeat of the final refrain, "I'm still here and so confused; But I can finally see how much I stand to lose; All these years," attributed to neither the husband nor the wife, indicates that both have seen what they have to lose, but are confused at the way forward.

Critical reception

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

, of ''

'' magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it "a downer, but effectively presented for a dreary breakup number." He goes on to says that the positive is that listeners feel like there was a "meeting of the minds".''

'', November 28, 1992

Other versions

recorded it on his 1993 album ''Live and Learn''. McAnally's version was the

b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to the album's first single, which was its title track.

Chart positions

"All These Years" debuted at number 72 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of November 28, 1992.

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1992 singles Mac McAnally songs Sawyer Brown songs Songs written by Mac McAnally Music videos directed by Michael Salomon Curb Records singles 1992 songs