"I Told You So" is a song written and recorded by Australian

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

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...

. It was released in May 2007 as the third single from his 2006 album ''

Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing ''Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing'' (stylized as Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing) is the fifth studio album by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It is his fourth album release in the United States, and his fifth for Capitol Na ...

''. The song peaked at number 2 on the US '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart and at number 48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. This song is used in the Rock Band Country Track Pack.

Content

"I Told You So" is a moderate-uptempo tune that talks about a man who has just met a lover with whom he recently split up. Upon encountering her, he begs for her to return, provided that she doesn't need to apologize for her own actions ("Please, just come back home / No, don't say that you're sorry / And I won't say 'I told you so'.").

Composition

The song features a Celtic influence, partially due to the use of

Uilleann pipes The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from thei ...

. Snare drums are also used heavily throughout, most notably between the second chorus and the bridge. According to the album's liner notes, Urban plays several instruments in the song, including the

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

, the acoustic guitar, the ganjo, the

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

, the mandolin, the slide guitar, and some

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

. He also sings all of the vocals. The radio edit features a shortened bridge, as well as a slightly truncated outro. The song is set in the key of C# Minor. Each section has its own chord progression. The intro, verses, and outro have a progression of Cm-E-B-Fm. The pre-chorus has a chord progression of A-B/A-A-B-A. The chorus uses a chord progression of E-B-Fm-A-E-B-Fm-A. The bridge has the chord progression of Fminor-A-F-Cminor-Fminor-E/G-A. Urban’s vocals range from G3-C6.

Critical reception

Kevin John Coyne of ''Country Universe'' gave the song an A grade, saying that he "love Urban's most recent album because he expands on his basic signature sound" and that it "doesn't hurt that the material is stronger" although the instrumental bridge is "like nothing

e's is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and drawn by Satoru Yuiga. It was originally serialized in ''Monthly GFantasy'' from 1997 through 2005, and later published in 16 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Square Enix from March 18, 2003 to Februa ...

ever heard before, on a country record or otherwise."

Personnel

As listed in liner notes. *Keith Urban – lead vocals, background vocals, lead electric guitar, acoustic guitar, ganjo, mandolin,

, slide guitar, percussion *

Tom Bukovac Tom Bukovac is an American session musician and producer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in nearby Willowick, Ohio. He has been a Nashville-based musician since 1992. He previously owned 2nd Gear, a used music consignment shop in So ...

– rhythm guitar * Eric Darken – percussion *

Dann Huff Dann Lee Huff (born November 15, 1960) is an American record producer and songwriter. For his work as a producer in the country music genre, he has won several awards, including the ''Musician of the Year'' award in 2001, 2004, and 2016 at the Co ...

– electric 12-string guitar, percussion *

Chris McHugh Chris McHugh (born 1964) is an American musician. He began his career as the drummer of Christian rock band White Heart from 1986 to 1989. He also worked in the recording of several of their later albums. Chris McHugh is on the Nashville "A" li ...

– drums, percussion *Tim Lauer – accordion, synthesizer *Eric Rigler –

tin whistle The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, putting it in the same class as the recorder, Native American flute, and other woodwind instruments that meet such criteria ...

Jimmie Lee Sloas Jimmie Lee Sloas is an American session musician, producer, and songwriter, who plays bass guitar. History Jimmie Lee Sloas, born in Ashland, Kentucky, grew up in Fairborn, Ohio and Isonville, Kentucky. His father, Dave, was a member of the po ...

– bass guitar *

Jonathan Yudkin Jonathan Yudkin is an American multi-instrumentalist who is a proficient player of banjo, violin, mandolin, and other stringed instruments. He is a Nashville-based session musician, record producer, arranger, and band leader. Biography Growin ...

– fiddle

Chart performance

"I Told You So" entered the U. S. '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart at number 53 on the chart week of April 28, 2007. It debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 94.

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2007 singles Keith Urban songs Song recordings produced by Dann Huff Songs written by Keith Urban Capitol Records Nashville singles 2006 songs