"We're Gonna Hold On" is a 1973 duet single by

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...

and

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...

. The duo, who were a married couple at the time, had their first of three number-one songs on the U.S. country chart. "We're Gonna Hold On" was the most successful of these releases spending fourteen weeks on the chart. George Jones co-wrote the song with Earl Montgomery.

Background

The song was released not long after the couple's reconciliation after Tammy filed for divorce on August 1, 1973 due to George's increasing bouts of drunkenness. Like many of their songs, "We're Gonna Hold On" seemed to mirror their stormy marriage, with Jones telling ''Music City News'' in 1973, "I was tired of waking up sick and having people talk about me - having my wife and children mad at me...I just looked at the situation and realized all the pain I was causing and all the pain I was suffering wasn't worth it. We love each other very much." According to Jones' biographer Bob Allen, Earl "Peanutt" Montgomery was inspired to write the song from a title suggested by Jones and his own sense of shame; while on tour with George and Tammy in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, he had gotten drunk in the lounge of a

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where they were staying and had charged all his drinks to Tammy's room. It was the first #1 for Jones since 1967. The pair would promote the single extensively with several television appearances, including one on '' The Midnight Special''.

Chart performance

References

1973 singles George Jones songs Tammy Wynette songs Songs written by George Jones Male–female vocal duets Song recordings produced by Billy Sherrill Epic Records singles Songs written by Earl Montgomery 1973 songs {{1970s-country-song-stub