"But You Know I Love You" is a song written by
Mike Settle
Michael Ward Settle (born March 20, 1941) is an American songwriter, journalist, broadcaster and singer.
Settle began his musical career as a solo singer and a member of The New Christy Minstrels. His debut solo album ''Folk Sing Hallelujah'' ...
, which was a 1969 pop hit for
Kenny Rogers and The First Edition
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, until 1970 billed as The First Edition, were an American rock band. The band's style was difficult to singularly classify, as it incorporated elements of country, rock and psychedelic pop. Its stalwart member ...
, a group that included Settle and
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
. The song also became a major country hit by
Bill Anderson in 1969. In 1981, a cover version of "But You Know I Love You" by singer
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
topped the country singles charts.
Kenny Rogers and The First Edition version
Background
In the song, "But You Know I Love You", the narrator voices regret over not being able to remain with his/her significant other, due to career demands and the need to travel for his/her job. At the time Settle was guitarist for
Kenny Rogers and The First Edition
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, until 1970 billed as The First Edition, were an American rock band. The band's style was difficult to singularly classify, as it incorporated elements of country, rock and psychedelic pop. Its stalwart member ...
, with Rogers singing lead and Settle harmonizing. The fall 1968 release, with a brass-tinged country-folk sound to broaden the group's fan base, peaked at number 19 on the Hot 100 just under a year after "
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" is a psychedelic rock song written by Mickey Newbury and best known from a version by The First Edition, recorded in 1967 and released to popular success in 1968. Said to reflect the ...
" peaked. In the group's rendition on ''
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.
The series was a major success, especially considering it was sc ...
'' that aired on 8 December 1968, the audience was unwittingly fooled to start clapping too soon, right after the
false ending
A false ending is a device in film and music that can be used to trick the audience into thinking that the work has ended, before it continues.
The presence of a false ending can be anticipated through a number of ways. The medium itself might bet ...
but way before the real ending.
Charts
Weekly chart
Bill Anderson version
Bill Anderson's cover version of "But You Know I Love You" rose to No. 2 on the ''
Billboard magazine
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
''
Hot Country Singles
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 1969.
Charts
Weekly chart
Dolly Parton version
Background
Country entertainer
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
(who, in 1983, would have the number 1 duet "
Islands In The Stream" with Rogers) in
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
included "But You Know I Love You", based on the occupation of on-the-road singer, on her album ''
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
''9 to 5 and Odd Jobs'' is the twenty-third solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on November 17, 1980, by RCA Records. A concept album about working, the album was centered on Parton's hit "9 to 5 (Dolly Parto ...
''. In March 1981, Parton released the song as the album's second single, following the success of "9 to 5," and it reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart on 20 June 1981, succeeding Rogers' accompanying Dottie West on "
What Are We Doin' in Love
"What Are We Doin' in Love" is a song written by Randy Goodrum and recorded by American country music artist Dottie West. Although not credited on the single release, the song also features American country and pop recording artist Kenny Rogers. I ...
" at the top slot. Parton's version also crossed over, bowing at number 82 on 4 April 1981 and peaking at number 41 on 16 May 1981 on the
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
and No. 14 on the
AC chart.
Charts
Weekly
Year-End
Other covers
*1969:
Bill Anderson for his album ''My Life / But You Know I Love You'' (
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
DL 75142).
*1969:
Ray Stevens
Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939), known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian, known for his Grammy-winning recordings "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Misty", as well as novelty ...
for his album ''Have a Little Talk With Myself'' (
Monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...
SLP 18134).
*1969:
Wynn Stewart
Winford Lindsey Stewart (June 7, 1934 – July 17, 1985), better known as Wynn Stewart, was an American country music performer. He was one of the progenitors of the Bakersfield sound. Although not a huge chart success, he was an inspiration t ...
for his album ''Yours Forever'' (
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
ST 324).
*1969:
Teresa Bennett for her album ''Anita Kerr Presents Teresa'' (
Dot DLP 25944).
*1969:
The Sweet Inspirations
The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Cis ...
for their album ''
Sweets for My Sweet
"Sweets for My Sweet" is a song written by the songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, originally recorded by American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group the Drifters.
The Drifters version
The group's first single featuring Charlie Thoma ...
'' (
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
SD 8225).
*1969:
Kim Weston
Kim Weston (born December 20, 1939) is an American soul singer, and Motown alumna. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)", and with her duet with Marvin Gaye ...
and
Johnny Nash
John Lester Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940October 6, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, best known in the United States for his 1972 hit " I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican artists ...
for their album ''Johnny Nash & Kim Weston'' (
Major Minor SMLP 54).
*1970:
Barbara Lewis
Barbara Ann Lewis (born February 9, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.
Career
Lewis was born in Salem, Michigan, United States.
She was writing and recording by her teens with record ...
for her album ''The Many Grooves of Barbara Lewis'' (
Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterpris ...
ENS 1006).
*1970:
Evie Sands
Evie Sands (born July 18, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter and musician.
Sands' music career spans more than 50 years. She began her career as a teenager in the mid-1960s. After a rocky start, she eventually found chart success in 1969, be ...
for her album ''Any Way That You Want Me'' (
A&M SP 4239) (US ''Billboard'' #110, AC #30).
[Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004]
*1970:
Julie Rogers
Julie Rogers (born Julie Rolls, 6 April 1943, Bermondsey, London, England) is an English pop singer. She is best known for her multi-million selling song, " The Wedding".
Career
Rogers, the youngest of five children, had piano lessons and star ...
for her album ''Once More With Feeling'' (
Ember
An ember, also called a hot coal, is a hot lump of smouldering solid fuel, typically glowing, composed of greatly heated wood, coal, or other carbon-based material. Embers (hot coals) can exist within, remain after, or sometimes precede, a ...
NR 5050).
*1970:
Skeeter Davis
Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis S ...
for her album ''A Place In the Country'' (
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
LSP-4310).
*1972:
Laura Lee Laura Lee can refer to:
* Laura Lee (singer-songwriter) (born 1945), American soul and gospel singer-songwriter
* Laura Lee (sex worker) (1973–2018), Irish-born sex worker and activist based in the UK
* Laura Lee (bassist) (born 1986), Mexican-Ame ...
for her album ''Love More Than Pride'' (
Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
CH 50031).
*1972:
Maria Dallas for her album ''Town and Country'' (
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
SBP-234201).
*1973:
Henson Cargill
Henson Cargill (February 5, 1941 – March 24, 2007) was an American country music singer best known for the socially controversial 1968 Country No. 1 hit "Skip a Rope". His music career began in Oklahoma in clubs around Oklahoma City and Tulsa ...
for his album ''This Is Henson Cargill Country'' (Atlantic SD 7279).
References
External links
But You Know I Love You lyrics at Dolly Parton On-Line
{{authority control
1969 songs
1981 singles
Dolly Parton songs
Kenny Rogers songs
Kenny Rogers and The First Edition songs
Bill Anderson (singer) songs
Song recordings produced by Jimmy Bowen
Reprise Records singles
RCA Records singles
Songs written by Mike Settle
Song recordings produced by Mike Post