About The Song
“That’s the Way Love Goes” is a song written by Lefty Frizzell and Sanger D. “Whitey” Shafer. Merle Haggard recorded and released his version as a single on November 19, 1983, on Epic Records. It served as the title track and second single from his thirty-eighth studio album, That’s the Way Love Goes, which was released in August 1983. The single’s B-side was “Don’t Seem Like We’ve Been Together All Our Lives.” The track runs 3 minutes and 4 seconds and was produced by Merle Haggard and Ray Baker.
The song was first recorded by co-writer Lefty Frizzell and included on his 1973 album The Legendary, released on September 18, 1973. The following year it appeared as the B-side of Frizzell’s single “I Never Go Around Mirrors.” Johnny Rodriguez released a version in December 1973 as the second single from his album All I Ever Meant to Do Was Sing. Rodriguez’s recording reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for one week in early 1974 and spent 14 weeks on the chart overall. Connie Smith also recorded the song as the title track of her 1974 album of the same name.
Haggard had admired Frizzell’s version since first hearing it and attempted an earlier recording of the song toward the end of his tenure with Capitol Records in the mid-1970s. That earlier version, later issued on the box set Hag: The Studio Recordings 1969-1976, differed in tone from the 1983 release. Haggard returned to the song for his Epic Records sessions in early 1983. The album sessions took place in January and March 1983 at Woodland Studios and Eleven Eleven Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Personnel included members of Haggard’s backing group The Strangers along with additional Nashville session players.
Haggard’s single entered the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in late 1983 and reached number one for the week of February 11, 1984. It held the top position for one week and spent a total of 21 weeks on the chart. The recording also reached number one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. This marked Haggard’s 30th number-one single on the Billboard country chart.
The parent album, That’s the Way Love Goes, peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and ranked number 19 on the year-end country albums chart for 1984. Additional singles from the album included “What Am I Gonna Do (With the Rest of My Life),” released July 16, 1983, and “Someday When Things Are Good,” released March 24, 1984, the latter of which also reached number one on the country chart.
At the 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985, Haggard’s recording of “That’s the Way Love Goes” won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. This was Haggard’s first Grammy win as a solo artist. He later recorded a duet version of the song with Jewel, released in 1999, which peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number 71 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
The song’s writing credit is jointly held by Lefty Frizzell and Sanger D. Shafer. Frizzell, a major influence on Haggard, had recorded the original in 1973. Rodriguez’s 1973-1974 hit version established the song commercially before Haggard’s 1983 interpretation. Chart documentation from Billboard confirms the November 19, 1983, single release date, the February 11, 1984, number-one peak, the one-week stay at the top, and the 21-week total chart run. Production credits list Haggard and Ray Baker. The album was Haggard’s thirty-eighth studio release and continued his association with Epic Records during this period.
These details are corroborated by Billboard chart archives, Epic Records catalog information, Grammy Awards records for the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, and discography entries for both the single and the 1983 album. Session locations and approximate recording dates align with documented Nashville studio activity for Haggard’s Epic projects in early 1983.
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Lyric
I've been throwing horseshoes over my left shoulder I've spent most all my life searching for that four-leafed clover Yet you ran with me chasing my rainbows Honey, I love you too and that's the way love goes That's the way love goes, babe That's the music God made For all the world to sing It's never old, it grows Losing makes me sorry You say "Honey, now don't worry" Don't you know I love you too And that's the way love goes That's the way love goes, babe That's the music God made For all the world to sing It's never old, it grows Losing makes me sorry You say "Honey, don't worry" Don't you know I love you too And that's the way love goes