"When I Think About Cheatin'" is a song co-written 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, ...

singer

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

. 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, by Epic Records Nashville. The album reached the top of the US country charts in May 2004 and number 2 on the ''B ...

'', 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 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 Neve ...

Content

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

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

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 The Nashville Sound originated during the mid-1950s as a subgenre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of the rough honky tonk music, which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s, with "smooth strings and choruses", "sophist ...

Music Video

The video for the song was filmed in the historic

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

and features Wilson imagining she is performing on the Grand Ole Opry, 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 music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

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 derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

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'' Hot Country Songs 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