"I'll Go On Loving You" is a song written by

Kieran Kane Kieran Kane (born October 7, 1949) is an American country music artist, as well as the owner of Dead Reckoning Records, an independent record label. Between 1986 and 1990, he and Jamie O'Hara comprised The O'Kanes, a duo which charted seven si ...

, 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

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many o ...

. It was released in July 1998 as the lead-off single from his album ''

High Mileage ''High Mileage'' is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on September 1, 1998, and produced four hit singles on the Hot Country Songs charts for Jackson: "I'll Go on Loving You" (#3), "Right on ...

''. It peaked at number 3 in the United States, and number 2 in Canada. Jackson also recorded a dual-language English/Portuguese version with

música sertaneja Música sertaneja () or sertanejo () is a music style that had its origins in the countryside of Brazil in the 1920s.

artist Leonardo of

Leandro e Leonardo Leandro e Leonardo were a Brazilian '' sertanejo'' duo. The two brothers (third and fourth of eight siblings), Leandro (born Luiz José da Costa, August 15, 1961–June 23, 1998) and Leonardo (Emival Eterno da Costa, born July 25, 1963), were from ...

in 1999.

Content

The song is a mid-tempo ballad in the key of

C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: : Cha ...

with alternating chord patterns of Cm-A and Cm-B. Through the spoken-word verses, Jackson promises that he will be faithful to his lover, "long after the pleasures of the flesh". The song is accompanied mainly by steel-string acoustic guitar and a string section.

Music video

The music video was directed by

Steven Goldmann Steven Harvey Goldmann (August 18, 1961 – April 30, 2015) was a Canadian music video and film director. He directed over 200 music videos. Goldmann also directed the movies ''Broken Bridges'' and ''Trailer Park of Terror'', and additionally ...

. Filmed in

sepia tone In photography, toning is a method of altering the color of black-and-white photographs. In analog photography, it is a chemical process carried out on metal salt-based prints, such as silver prints, iron-based prints (cyanotype or Van Dyke b ...

, it shows Jackson and a string band performing the song during a water ballet performance. Jackson disappears in the end.

Critical reception

Alanna Nash Alanna Nash is an American journalist and biographer. Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1950, Nash holds a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is the author of several acclaimed books. She is a 1972 graduat ...

of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' said that the song was "the frankest treatment of lust on country radio", "a colossal embarrassment" and "a memorable romantic declaration."

Chart performance

"I'll Go On Loving You" debuted at number 35 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 ...

'' country singles charts in late 1998, representing Jackson's highest chart debut at the time.

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1998 singles 1998 songs Alan Jackson songs Music videos directed by Steven Goldmann Song recordings produced by Keith Stegall Songs written by Kieran Kane Arista Nashville singles