Dixie Chicks, an American country music group, recorded “You Were Mine”. Released in December 1998, it was the fourth single from the album Wide Open Spaces. After its release, it hit the top spot on the US Country singles chart. Furthermore, it spent two weeks on the chart in March of 1999. Apart from that, it placed 34th and 3rd on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop singles chart and Canada’s country music chart respectively.
In 1995, sisters Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robinson co-wrote “You Were Mine”. The track tells the story of their parents’ break-up and subsequent divorce. According to Robinson during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, her parents tried to ignore the fact that it was about them. She said that both of her parents were very “sweep-it-under-the-carpet”. Her parents knew it was about them; however, they never discussed it. She added, too, that they did not want to bring it up because they felt weird around each other. Her dad did not want to think it was about him. The reason was that it did not make their dad look very good. On the other hand, she continued to share, that her mom thought she had moved on.
Dixie Chicks, “You Were Mine”
In the same year (1995), the Erwin sisters invited Natalie Maines to sing lead vocals on the demo of “You Were Mine”. With Miss Maines’ impressive and powerful vocals, she continued singing with the two eventually replacing Laura Lynch. Laura was Dixie Chicks’ former lead singer.
While listening to the track, we can hear and feel Natalie Maines’ powerful, grief-stricken lead vocals. This became more heartfelt when the two sisters’ gentle harmonies and sorrowful violin playing were combined. In the end, it produced a strong production of sadness and loss.
“You Were Mine” is the only original song to appear on Dixie Chicks’ breakthrough album, Wide Open Spaces. The song was a commercial success and reached number one on US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.