"It's Sad to Belong" is a song written by

Randy Goodrum Charles Randolph Goodrum (born July 7, 1947) is an American songwriter, pianist, and producer. Goodrum has written number one songs in each of the four decades since his first number one hit, 1978's "You Needed Me". Goodrum's songs have appeare ...

and performed by

England Dan & John Ford Coley England Dan & John Ford Coley were an American soft rock duo composed of Danny Wayland "England Dan" Seals and John Edward "John Ford" Coley, active throughout the 1970s. Native Texans, they are best known for their 1976 single "I'd Really Lov ...

on their 1977 album, ''

Dowdy Ferry Road ''Dowdy Ferry Road'' is the fifth album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. The album's single "It's Sad to Belong" was a moderate pop hit and a #1 smash on the Adult Contemporary chart. A second hit from the LP, "Gone Too Far," rea ...

''. Called a "timeless classic",Martinez-Belen, Crispina
"MYMP's pre-Valentine show"
''mb.com.ph'', February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-04. it peaked at #21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #1 on the

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart. It was one of the earlier pop hits in Goodrum's career. "It's Sad to Belong" was released in May 1977 through

Big Tree Records Big Tree Records was a record label founded by Doug Morris in 1970. It was best known for releases by Lobo, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Brownsville Station, Johnny Rivers, Dave and Ansel Collins, Canadian band April Wine April Wine is a C ...

, with the b-side "The Time Has Come". It became one of "a string of hit singles" that England Dan & John Ford Coley had in the mid-1970s. The song topped the adult contemporary (then called "easy listening") chart for five consecutive weeks from June 25 to July 23. It also appeared on the top 40 "rack singles" list on June 7.
Billboard
', June 18, 1977. On December 24, it ranked #3 on ''Billboards end-of-the-year easy listening chart.
Billboard
', December 24, 1977.

Background

"It's Sad to Belong" is the second track on ''Dowdy Ferry Road''. It is one of only two songs on the album not written by either singer. The song has been called "bittersweet", telling the story of a married man falling in love with another woman and knowing they cannot be together.

Dale Van Atta Dale Van Atta (born 1951) is a speaker, novelist, and journalist. He was a personal friend of and co-author with fellow journalist Jack Anderson and borrowed money to help him when he was in financial trouble. In 2008 his book ''With Honor'' ...

of the ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'' observed that it is "the universal divorce anthem - about the alleged monotony of monogamy" and that the duo " educesit to a simple, peaceful chorus" (referring to the line, ''Yes, it's sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along''). ''

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 ...

'' described the song as a "sweetly catchy ballad." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said "the strong point is their seamless harmony, easing a catchy chorus through several

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...

s." It is still performed in concerts by the surviving member of the duo, John Ford Coley.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other versions

B.J. Thomas Billy Joe Thomas (August 7, 1942 – May 29, 2021) was an American singer widely known for his pop, country and Christian hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Popular songs by Thomas include "Hooked on a Feeling" (1968), "Raindrops Keep Fallin' ...

recorded a version of "It's Sad to Belong" in 1977 on his eponymous LP.Discogs - B.J. Thomas 1977
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:It's Sad to Belong 1977 singles England Dan & John Ford Coley songs Songs written by Randy Goodrum 1977 songs Big Tree Records singles