"Smoke Rings in the Dark" is a song written by
Rivers Rutherford
Melvern Rivers Rutherford II (born June 17, 1967) is an American country music songwriter. Has been writing country songs since the mid-1990s as a songwriter, he has written several number one country hits, including "Ain't Nothing 'bout You" by B ...
and Houston Robert 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
Gary Allan
Gary Allan Herzberg (born December 5, 1967) is an American country music singer. Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his country music debut with the release of his single " Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album '' U ...
. It was released in August 1999 as the first single and title track from Allan's 1999 album
of the same name. The song peaked at number 12 on the U.S. ''
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 ...
''
Hot Country Songs
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 February 2000. It also reached 76 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became his highest-charting single in Canada at number 5.
Content
The song deals with the pain of
unrequited love
Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. The Merriam Webster Online Dic ...
. The narrator states that all he will leave his significant other like "smoke rings in the dark."
Critical reception
Chuck Taylor of ''
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 ...
'' magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that "the production, songwriting, and performance combine to create a record that leaves a stunning impression." Taylor calls Allan's performance "wonderfully nuanced" and saying that the production has a "decidedly retro feel."
['']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 ...
'', August 14, 1999
Music video
The music video was directed by Chris Rogers.
Chart positions
"Smoke Rings in the Dark" debuted at number 71 on the U.S. ''
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 ...
''
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
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 for the week of August 14, 1999.
Year-end charts
References
{{Gary Allan
1999 singles
1999 songs
Gary Allan songs
Songs written by Rivers Rutherford
Song recordings produced by Tony Brown (record producer)
Song recordings produced by Byron Hill
Song recordings produced by Mark Wright (record producer)
MCA Nashville Records singles
MCA Records singles