53 Best Country Songs About Breaking Up

27. Over When It’s Over by Eric Church

Song Year: 2011

Sometimes, breakups are mutual, and both parties agree that they are better off apart. Eric Church’s Over When It’s Over is about one instance in which two lovers decide to end their relationship. After many false alarms, they ultimately decide to go their separate ways.

Eric Church is a country music singer, as well as songwriter, hailing from North Carolina. He’s released nine studio albums and several hit singles, earning a spot on the Billboard charts.

28. Someone Else Calling You Baby by Luke Bryan

Song Year: 2009

Someone Else Calling You Baby is an uptempo tune featuring Luke Bryan’s classic vocals and an electric guitar solo. It was released as the third hit single from the artist’s 2009 album Doin’ My Thing. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

In this song, Bryan describes seeing his ex-girlfriend in a truck with another man. He worries that someone else is loving her as he could not.

29. Tight on My Boat by The Chicks

Song Year: 2020

Though there are many things you might want to say in a breakup, they are often inappropriate. This song provides a much-needed catharsis for those in the early stages of a division. The protagonist names all her vengeful wishes for her ex-lover in the music. She hopes, for example, that he dies painfully and loses all of his socks. The listener later finds her angry because her lover cheated on her with someone else. The song is the perfect addition to any breakup playlist.

30. I’d Be Better Off in a Pine Box by Doug Stone

Song Year: 1990

This beautiful song boasts a soft, reflective melody and profound lyrics that touch on the timeless theme of jealousy.

In this song, Doug Stone sings from the perspective of a man who has seen his recent ex-wife with someone else. He maintains that he would rather be dead or in prison than see her again with another man. It’s a sentiment we can all relate to, and one that earned Stone the number four spot on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

Doug Stone is a contemporary country music artist with a deep baritone. I’d Be Better Off in a Pine Box was his debut single, and he announced his arrival.

31. If You See Him by Brooks and Dunn With Reba McIntire

Song Year: 2010

This song is unique in that it covers both sides of a breakup. Conceived initially as a solo by writers Terry McBride, Jennifer Kimball, and Tommy Lee James, it was a duet to accommodate Brooks & Dunn.

This song is about the problematic emotions accompanying a relationship’s end. The man doesn’t know why the relationship ended, while the woman maintains that she still misses her partner. Ultimately, they both realize that they still have feelings for one another.

32. A Bad Goodbye by Clint Black

Song Year: 1993

Sometimes, leaving a person is the best decision you can make. This song is about that decision—and how hard it can be to make the first move.

Black sings from a man’s perspective who finds himself unhappy in this relationship. He decides to leave his partner but cannot bring himself. He asserts his wish to leave her on pleasant terms despite their difficult moments together.

Clint Black is a country music singer and songwriter signed to RCA Nashville. His debut album hit number one on the charts, and he has remained popular ever since.

33. Mercy by Brett Young

Song Year: 2017

Brett Young knows how to write a good breakup song. Mercy is about a young man attempting to separate from a woman he still loves. Although their relationship is no longer functioning, she continues to hold onto him, trying to make it work. He begs her to have mercy on him and leave him, but he cannot bring himself to do it.

Brett Young debuted in 2016 and has remained prominent in country music. He was once a college baseball player before becoming a musician.

34. Picture by Kid Rock ft. Sheryl Crow

Song Year: 2002

This song is a beautiful, harmonic duet written and performed by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. It was released in 2002 on Kid Rock’s album Cocky.

The song touches on the difficulty of coping with the aftermath of a breakup. The male partner sings about his promiscuity and problem finding intimacy again. The female partner expresses her jealousy and drinks in her lover’s absence.

Although the song was initially released as an alternative rock ballad, it was adapted for the country music style to appeal to a broader audience.

35. Better Man by Little Big Town

Song Year: 2016

Although this song was performed and recorded by the band Little Big Town, it was written by hit country pop singer Taylor Swift.

The song touches on the emotional damage that follows infidelity and heartbreak. The protagonist expresses her mixed emotions after the breakup, lamenting the loss of her partner but determining that their separation is ultimately the right thing to do.

Little Big Town is a country music band consisting of Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook.

36. Keep It To Yourself by Kacey Musgraves

Song Year: 2013

Kacey Musgraves has written several of the songs on this list. At only 34 years old, Musgraves has won six Grammy Awards and seven Country Music Association Awards. Her piece, Keep It to Yourself, is among her best. It covers a breakup from the perspective of a lonely heart lamenting the absence of a lover. She hears from her friends that her ex wants to rekindle the relationship, but she asks him to keep his feelings to himself and try to move on.

Sometimes, letting a relationship go is better than holding on for dear life.

37. Break Up in the End by Cole Swindell

Song Year: 2018

This track is a recounting of one man’s relationship with his ex-lover. He tells the story of their relationship from beginning to end, maintaining that he would repeat the experience—even if he knew that they broke up at the end. No matter how complex a relationship may be, the experience is almost always worth it because of the lessons learned.

Cole Swindell is a country music artist with four studio albums. His song, She Had Me at Carolina, peaked on the Billboard charts for several weeks.

38. Neon Moon by Brooks & Dunn

Song Year: 1991

Neon Moon is a country song about the aftermath of a breakup. A man laments the loss of his lover, spending each night alone. The young man grows lonely as night falls. He sits alone at a table for two in a dark bar by the light of its neon signs.

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn are acclaimed vocalists and songwriters with several top hits, many of which are about breakups.

39. Better as a Memory by Kenny Chesney

Song Year: 2007

This song differs from the rest in that it is not about falling apart but about resilience in the face of adversity. The protagonist maintains that though he is hurt, he isn’t broken. Even though his relationship has ended, he refuses to succumb to his depression or stew in his emotion. The song features a catchy upbeat tune, and compelling piano backtrack. It’s a great song to listen to in the aftermath of a relationship’s end, and it will inspire you to press on no matter how sad you are.