Songwriters Jeff Stevens and Steve Bogard have a good history together, especially when it comes to writing hits for George Strait.
Not only did the singer take their song, “Carried Away,” to the top of the charts in 1996, but they did once again the following year with another tune, “Carrying Your Love With Me.”
What Inspired George Strait’s “Carrying Your Love With Me”?
“‘Carrying Your Love With Me’ is a title Jeff Stevens mentioned to me that we didn’t write until about six months later,” Bogard told Taste of Country in 2011.
“We just let it percolate, and finally I got the idea for the ‘beat up leather bag’ metaphor.”
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“Baby, all I got is this beat up leather bag / And everything I own don’t fill up half / But don’t you worry ’bout the way I pack / All I care about is gettin’ back real soon / A goodbye kiss is all I need from you,” Strait sings in the song’s opening lyrics.
“We pretty much wrote it in a few hours,” noted Bogard. “Our publisher, Michael Knox, called Larry Willoughby, the A&R man for MCA, and he came over and heard it in my little office live. Jeff [was] singing and playing acoustic, and [I was] playing bass and singing harmony.”
Strait’s label thought the lyrics of the song’s chorus were a perfect match for the singer:
“‘Cause I’m carrying your love with me / West Virginia down to Tennessee / I’ll be movin’ with the good Lord’s speed / Carrying your love with me / It’s my strength for holdin’ on / Every minute that I have to be gone / I’ll have everything I’ll ever need / I’m carrying your love with me.”
“[They] put it on hold and made us promise not to play the demo, which we hadn’t done yet, for anyone until he could send it to George,” Bogard recalled.
“I’m glad we did. It’s a great cut!”
How Did George Strait’s “Carrying You Love With Me” Do in the Charts?
Released on May 22, 1997, “Carrying Your Love With Me” reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.
It’s been certified Double Platinum and remains one of Strait’s most enduring hits.
40 Photos of George Strait Young
George Strait is the undisputed King of Country. With a career spanning over 40 years, he has charted more than 60 No. 1 country songs and has more No. 1 hits than any other artist in a single genre.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul
