"Holes in the Floor of Heaven" is a song co-written and 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, ...

artist Steve Wariner. It was released in March 1998 as the lead-off single from his album ''

Burnin' the Roadhouse Down ''Burnin' the Roadhouse Down'' is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner, released on April 21, 1998. It was the first of three albums that he recorded for Capitol Nashville after having been dropped from Aris ...

'', and was his first solo single in three years. It peaked at number 2 in both the United States and Canada. The song, written by Wariner with

Billy Kirsch Billy Kirsch is an American songwriter and consultant. Early life Billy Kirsch attended Wesleyan University before leaving college to become a musician, focusing on a career as a jazz musician. After living in New York City, he moved to Nashvill ...

, won the award for Song of the Year in 1998 from both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). In 2005, Steve Wariner re-recorded a new version of this song for his second studio album that he released on his own SelecTone Records titled "This Real Life". The re-recorded version was not released as a single.

Content

Told in first-person, the protagonist recalls the deaths of his grandmother ("''One day shy of eight years old''") and his young wife, and the sadness he felt upon each passing. Each time, the man recalls how a cold rain reminds him of his beloved ancestors crying down from Heaven, wishing they could still be with him, experiencing and sharing various joys in his life ("''There's holes in the floor of Heaven/and her tears are pouring down/That's how I know she's watching/wishing she could be here now''"). In the case of the young man's wife (who died from pregnancy complications giving birth to their daughter), the point is driven home in the final verse of the song, which depicts his now 23-year-old daughter's wedding day. At the end of the ceremony, it begins to rain, making the father of the bride very sad; the daughter picks up on this and comforts him by saying the rain is her late mother's tears of joy.

Critical reception

Thom Owens from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

described the song as an "affecting

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

". ''

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 ...

'' wrote, "Speaking of great comebacks, Wariner is enjoying an exceptional year, having co-written recent hits for

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

and

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...

—not to mention his own No. 1 duet with

Anita Cochran Anita Renee Cockerham (born February 6, 1967), known professionally as Anita Cochran, is an Americans, American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She has released two albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashville and one for Straybra ...

on " What If I Said". After asking to be released from his

Arista Arista may refer to: Organizations *Arista Networks, a software defined networking company *Arista Records, an American record label, division of Sony Music **Arista Nashville, a record label specializing in country music *Arista (honor society) ...

contract, he signed a deal with Capitol, and this is the first single from his upcoming album. Wariner is in better voice than ever, and it shows on this sweet and pretty ballad, which he co-wrote with

. Here's hoping radio gives Wariner the same warm reception singing his own tune that it has been giving him as a songwriter and duet partner." In 2019, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" No. 28 on its list of the 40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time.

Music video

The music video was directed by

Michael Salomon Michael Salomon (born in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, United States) is an American music video/film director, who has directed many music videos, including many of Toby Keith's music videos. He directed the video for Metallica's " One", which was no ...

. It shows the singer in a living room, while shadows portray the song's storyline. Wariner is sitting the whole time. In the end, "Holes in the floor of heaven" appear, each one giving off a blue light.

Chart performance

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holes In The Floor Of Heaven 1998 singles Steve Wariner songs Songs written by Billy Kirsch Songs written by Steve Wariner Music videos directed by Michael Salomon Capitol Records Nashville singles 1998 songs