Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Did You Know “If Tomorrow Never Comes” Was Garth Brooks’ First Country Hit?

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Garth Brooks scored his first No. 1 single on the US Billboard Country Singles chart with “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” Sometimes referred to as his signature song, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” was released on Brooks’ self-titled debut album in 1989 and also appeared on The Hits, The Limited Series, and Double Live.

The song was named Favorite Country Single in the American Music Awards of 1991. It also helped Brooks win Top Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards Horizon Award before becoming one of his most famous songs for other artists to perform. 

The Song That Earned Garth Brooks A Recording Contract

Written by Garth Brooks and Kent Blazy, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” sings about a man lying awake at night, thinking what would happen to the girl he loves if he were to die the next day.

“If tomorrow never comes, will she know how much I loved her? Did I try in every way to show her every day that she’s my only one? And if my time on earth were through, and she must face this world without me. Is the love I gave her in the past gonna be enough to last, if tomorrow never comes,” the song goes.

Garth gave the following background information of the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits:

“‘If Tomorrow Never Comes” will probably always be my signature song. I ran the idea for this song by what seemed like a thousand writers, and no one really seemed to understand what I was looking for,” Brooks wrote. “On the day that Bob Doyle, my co-manager, introduced me to Kent Blazy, I passed this idea by Kent, and he had the first verse down within fifteen seconds. I could tell he just felt it.”

Still, the classic song almost became a hit for another artist. “A lot of times, you’re not really sure about a song, but Garth and I were really pumped about this,” Blazy recalled to Country Weekly. “We pitched it to several artists right away, and George Jones actually had it on hold.”

Blazy further revealed that they pitched the song “around town for about a year, and nobody was interested.” Blazy and Brooks even come to the decision to get together and rewrite the song, see if they could get it better. But just about a week before that, something great happened.

“Brooks got a call to come play at the Bluebird to fill in for somebody who was sick. They let him do one song, and he played ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes,'” Blazy said. “Linda Schultz from Capitol Records, who passed on him for the third time that week, heard something (in that song). She said, ‘Why don’t you come back? Maybe we missed something.'”

Impressed with the performance, the executive convinced Capitol Records to sign Brooks. “He came in and got a record deal. It was his second single, my first No. 1 and his first No. 1,” Blazy added.

But This Is Not A Love Song

But contrary to what most people believe, the song was not written for his lover. This song is actually about the love of a father to his daughter. Brooks said that on stage at Belmont University to Britt Todd.

The music video further proves the song’s meaning. Throughout the short clip for the song, Brooks can be seen playing his guitar in a dim room and constantly cuts to a little girl, played by the daughter of Steve Gatlin of the Grammy-award winning trio, The Gatlin Brothers. She is the subject of the song in this case.

You can watch the heart-wrenching music video below.

Latest Stories

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton perform together in a bar setting for their duet “A Song to Sing.

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton’s “A Song to Sing” Duet Feels Like an Instant Classic

Sometimes country music gives you a line so pure it feels like it’s been here forever, and that’s exactly what Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton just pulled off with “A ...

Blake Shelton and Noah Cyrus standing side by side with microphones, performing their new country duet together.

Noah Cyrus Teams Up With Blake Shelton for New Country Duet and Fans Are Loving It

Sometimes country music needs a little shot of something wild, and Noah Cyrus just poured it straight into Blake Shelton’s glass. It’s not every day you see the Voice coach ...

George Strait performing on stage with his guitar and cowboy hat, pictured at a previous event not related to the upcoming Strait From the Heart benefit concert.

George Strait Will Play “Strait to the Heart” Benefit Concert to Raise Money for Flood Victims

Some kings wear crowns, some kings wear boots, and show up when the water’s rising. George Strait, the King of Country himself, is stepping up once again for the people ...

Blake Shelton smiles on stage with guitar and mic during Vegas show, putting his own spin on George Strait’s classic.

Blake Shelton Nails George Strait Classic With His Own Spin on “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Sometimes you don’t mess with a George Strait classic, unless you’re Blake Shelton standing under the Vegas lights with a grin that says you’re about to pay tribute and stir ...

Dolly Parton smiles during Khloé podcast interview, sitting by mic and lamp as she shares why she won't stop sharing faith.

Dolly Parton Says People Tell Her To Stop Talking About Her Faith But She Won’t Listen

If there’s one thing you can count on Dolly Parton for, it’s that she’ll say exactly what’s on her heart and not give a single rhinestone what anyone thinks. In ...

Little Mississippi boy in plaid shirt smiles at mic during preschool graduation where he recited New Testament books and sang a George Strait classic.

4-Year-Old Boy Recites New Testament Books Then Belts Out ‘All My Ex’s Live in Texas’

If there’s ever been a preschool graduation that screams “God bless the South,” this is it. Somewhere in Mississippi, a four-year-old kid just made the entire congregation beam with pride ...

Young George Strait smiling on stage playing guitar in 1987 when “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” hit No. 1 and proved he ran country.

On This Day in 1987, George Strait Hit No. 1 with ‘All My Ex’s Live in Texas’ and Proved He Ran Country

Sometimes a song just cements your throne forever, and for George Strait, it was a little tongue-in-cheek love letter that made every Texan proud to claim him as their king. ...

Scotty McCreery with his wife and both grandmothers, who he revealed passed away hours apart in a heartbreaking double loss.

Scotty McCreery Reveals Both His Grandmothers Died Hours Apart in Heartbreaking Double Loss

You just don’t see some country heartbreaks coming, and this one hit Scotty McCreery straight in the soul. This week, the North Carolina native and Opry favorite shared the gut-wrenching ...

Brooks & Dunn performing on stage together, fitting their story about admitting they struggled to get along for years.

Brooks and Dunn Admit They Struggled to Get Along for Years and Tried to Blow It Real Hard

Country music’s greatest duo was basically a bar fight waiting to happen. When Brooks & Dunn stormed out of the gate with “Brand New Man” in 1991, it looked like ...

LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian smiling outdoors, not taken when she spoke about feeling hated after their affair scandal.

LeAnn Rimes Says So Many Women Hated Her After Affair With Eddie Cibrian and She Felt Like a Target

Ain’t every country ballad pretty, and LeAnn Rimes knows her verse is messy as hell. View this post on Instagram A post shared by leann rimes cibrian (@leannrimes) Back in ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.