By Track 17 of Riley Green‘s That’s Just Me album, we’d heard a lot of heartbreak ballads — but we weren’t prepared for “Ol’ Stray Dog.”
We’d argue that, in a sea of breakup songs, this is the track that packs the biggest gut punch. Its lyrics are sung from the perspective of a man who compares himself to a lonely, unwanted dog. He’s perpetually nomadic, used to hard living, and he’s been disappointed more than once by someone who wanted to take him in but quickly lost interest.
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Whether you’re a dog person or simply know what loneliness feels like, that topic is a tough one to get through without tearing up.
Actually, even though the true heartbreak songs were packed pretty densely into the first half of That’s Just Me, the final three songs on the project might just be the weepiest.
Check out That’s Just Me for yourself and listen along as you check out our ranking.
Riley Green, That’s Just Me Album
That’s Just Me, Green’s fourth studio album, came out on Friday (Sept. 18). Clocking in at 19 tracks, it has the acreage to span a wide variety of topics and musical styles — but Green definitely showed preferential treatment to breakup ballads.
So much so that, early on in the album, things got a little redundant. The album-opening “My Way” is sorrowful, gravelly, and one of the best tracks on the project — but after six songs go by, all drawing from the same heartbroke well, listeners can be forgiven for getting a little antsy.
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Fortunately, Green has plans to take us on vacation: “Bartender in Destin” and “Beach Happy” cruise in back to back, whisking listeners off to someplace more tropical. Sure there’s some heartache involved — we’re looking at you, “Beach Happy” — but nothing’s quite so sad while you’re soaking up the sand and the surf.
Beach vacation music comes up enough to call it a traditional country trope (see also: Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band) so Green is well within his rights as a traditionalist to explore that sound.
He also reminds us just how country he is with a couple well-thought-out homages: One to Toby Keith, one to Brooks & Dunn, both featuring vocals from the original singers. But it’s an original duet with fellow Alabamian Randy Owen, of the legendary group Alabama, that is arguably the most tender collaboration.
Green saves his very best country storytelling for the final few songs on the project. In fact, our favorite song on the project is the very last track. Keep scrolling to see what made No. 1 on Taste of Country’s ranking off all the songs on That’s Just Me.
Riley Green That’s Just Me Album: All the Songs Ranked
No. 19: “Don’t Come Any Closer” — Maybe it’s unfair, but this song gets a little lost because of its track list placement. It’s Track 3 on the album, solidly in the middle of a block of six songs that are about the ups and downs of breaking up with someone. It’s simply the least memorable of those.
No. 18: “Got That From You” — This mild, midtempo heartbreaker lists how Green got all the scars and ill-fated tattoos over the years. But there’s one injury that’s not visible to the naked eye: The broken heart he got from an ex.
No. 17: “Bartender in Destin” — One of Green’s greatest strengths is as a storyteller, and this song tells a fun story about a vacation romance.
No. 16: “Radio Road” — We love a waltz, especially when it’s paired with some romantic nostalgia! This song celebrates the one spot in a small town that picks up the radio station, and all the adventures that unfold there.
No. 15: “Well Well Whiskey” feat. Jake Worthington— The first true honky-tonkin’ song on That’s Just Me, “Well Well Whiskey” includes a well-paired feature from Jake Worthington.
No. 14: “Beach Happy” — Riley Green fully embraces his tropical side with “Beach Happy,” a song about relocating a broken heart to a beach. Some sly turns of phrase — including the too-dumb-to-be-offensive “I don’t want her back / Because there’s no making that / Beach happy” — round out the vibe.
No. 13: “Go Again” (feat. Hannah McFarland) — Riley Green wrote this ballad solo, and brought it to life with a shimmering vocal performance from Hannah McFarland. This song’s story is especially powerful as a duet.
No. 12: “Lookout Mountain” (feat. Randy Owen) — A collaboration between Green and country legends Alabama makes so much sense, we’re surprised it hasn’t happened yet. The singer teams up with Randy Owen for a song that spotlights a mountain ridge with a view of their shared home state. It’s tender, colorful and full of emtoin.
No. 11: “Runs in the Family” — Country rock and touch of banjo-bolstered bluegrass make this a song worth cranking up in your car. Its lyrics talk about bad habits, and the singer’s tendency to run when things get tough.
No. 10: “Pave All Them Red Dirt Roads” (feat. Brooks & Dunn) — Green lays out a poignant sequel for Brooks & Dunn’s classic “Red Dirt Road” in this song — featuring a cameo from the band itself.
No. 9: “That’s Just Me” — One of the project’s several solo writes, “That’s Just Me” leans into Green’s brooding, heartbroken wheelhouse. He imagines what might have been if things had worked out with the girl he loves, and wonders if she ever imagines that, too.
No. 8: “More of a Man Than Me” — Riley Green’s not scared to admit it when something’s too tough for him. He’s man enough for a lot of things — but watching an ex walk out on him isn’t one of them.
No. 7: “Imagine That” — It’s certainly not the only song of its kind on the album, but it is one of the best. “Imagine That” finds Green outside his ex’s window, ready to lay down his pride in a Hail Mary to win her back.
No. 6: “P.O.S.” — Fans hoping to find tidbits about Green’s real-life love interests — including the two stars that the rumor mill has pegged him to, Ella Langley and Megan Moroney — have gravitated toward this song to speculate whether or not Moroney inspired it. With lyrics like “Running me down at the hair salon / Saying, ‘Yeah, I’m glad he’s gone” make it easy to see why, since Moroney released a song called “Hair Salon” in 2025. But Green has said there’s no truth to that rumor. Either way, “P.O.S.” is a satisfying song about kissing off an ex.
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No. 5: “Seven Second Ride” — This Riley Green song has everything: A great story, a tear-jerking heartbreak, a rodeo reference. Rodeo fans will get exactly what he means when he sings that his relationship was like a “Seven Second Ride” — exhilarating, but not quite enough to secure a trophy.
No. 4: “Think As You Drunk” — Green’s Toby Keith homage is a creative interpolation of “Good As I Once Was,” and it’s dang fun to boot. Listeners might stop their dancing to get a little misty-eyed when they hear the late Keith sing at the very end of the track.
No. 3: “Ol’ Stray Dog” — This song is the unexpected gut-punch of That’s Just Me. We knew we were going to cry during the heartbreak songs, but this track — about loneliness, disappointment, and life as an “Ol’ Stray Dog” will sneak up on you.
No. 2: “My Way” — Fans already know this song from Green’s Marshals arc, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful as the album opener of That’s Just Me. It’s the best heartbreak song on an album teeming with heartbreak songs.
No. 1: “Ten Pairs of Boots” — The final song on the album tells the story of a man’s life, through the boots he’s worn. From his first pair of childhood kicks to the ones that helped his sow his wild oats, and finally to the ones he wears as he welcomes a baby of his own. It’s a creative and deeply relatable way to look at life’s changes.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
