"When I Think About Cheatin'" is a song co-written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer

Gretchen Wilson Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973, in Pocahontas, Illinois) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Awards, Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on th ...

. It was the third single from her debut album, ''

Here for the Party ''Here for the Party'' is the debut studio album by American country music singer Gretchen Wilson. It was released on May 11, 2004, through Epic Records Nashville. After singing in a bar, she met John Rich of Big & Rich, who invited her to work ...

'', and was released to radio in October 2004. The song was her third consecutive Top Ten hit, reaching No. 4 on the country singles charts. Wilson wrote this song with

John Rich John Rich (born January 7, 1974) is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist. After depa ...

and

Vicky McGehee Vicky Lynn McGehee is an American country music songwriter. Among the songs that McGehee has written are "Heart Hold On" by The Buffalo Club, " All Jacked Up" by Gretchen Wilson, "Holy Water" by Big & Rich, "Why" by Jason Aldean, "Like We Nev ...

Content

In "When I Think About Cheatin'," the female narrator states that she resists the temptation of

infidelity Infidelity (synonyms include non-consensual non-monogamy, cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, se ...

because the possibility of losing her current relationship would be too much for her to bear. The song is performed in the style of the Nashville sound.

Music Video

The video for the song was filmed in the historic

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (originally Union Gospel Tabernacle and renamed Grand Ole Opry House for a period) is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue and museum located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennesse ...

and features Wilson imagining she is performing on the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

, with holograms of Opry legends joining her and her band.

Critical reception

Johnny Loftus of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

said that Wilson was "convincing" in her delivery, and that the inclusion of a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

on the album gave it "some depth." Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a positive rating. He says that the song proves that Wilson is more than just a "

Redneck Woman "Redneck Woman" is the debut single of American country music artist Gretchen Wilson, released on March 15, 2004, from her debut studio album, ''Here for the Party'' (2004). Wilson co-wrote the song with John Rich. It is Wilson's only number-one ...

Chart performance

"When I Think About Cheatin'" debuted 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 advertis ...

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 along with digital sales and streaming. ...

charts dated for the week ending October 30, 2004. The song peaked at No. 4, holding that position for one week and spending twenty weeks on the charts.

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control 2004 singles 2004 songs Gretchen Wilson songs Songs written by John Rich Music videos directed by Deaton-Flanigen Productions Songs written by Gretchen Wilson Epic Records singles Song recordings produced by Mark Wright (record producer) Songs written by Vicky McGehee