About The Song
“I Don’t Want to Have to Marry You” is a classic country duet performed by Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius. Released in July 1976 as the lead single and title track of their debut collaborative album on RCA Records, the song was written by Fred Imus (brother of radio host Don Imus) and Phil Sweet. It became the first of several chart-topping hits for the newly formed duo.
Jim Ed Brown (April 1, 1934 – June 11, 2015) was already a country music veteran by 1976. He first gained fame as a member of The Browns, the family trio that scored a massive pop and country crossover No. 1 in 1959 with “The Three Bells.” After the group disbanded in 1967, Brown enjoyed a successful solo career with Top 10 country hits including “Pop a Top” (1967) and “Morning” (1970). Helen Cornelius (born December 8, 1941), a Missouri native, had signed with RCA in 1974 and released moderate solo singles before the label paired her with Brown.
The pairing proved instantaneous. Produced by legendary RCA producer Tom Collins at Nashville’s RCA Studio B, the track features the classic mid-1970s Nashville Sound: warm acoustic guitars, tasteful pedal steel, and lush background harmonies. Clocking in at just 2:35, the song’s tight arrangement and playful yet poignant lyric about a couple resisting marriage while craving commitment struck a chord with country radio audiences.
Released in July 1976, “I Don’t Want to Have to Marry You” entered the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on August 7, 1976. It climbed steadily and reached No. 1 on October 9, 1976, staying at the top for one week. It spent 16 weeks total on the chart and helped push the accompanying album to No. 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA, a significant achievement for a country duet at the time.
The success launched one of country music’s most consistent duos of the late 1970s. Between 1976 and 1981, Brown and Cornelius scored eight Top 10 country singles, including three additional No. 1s: “Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye” (1976), “Born Believer” (1977), and “I’m Leaving It Up to You” (1979, originally a 1963 hit for Dale & Grace). They became regulars on the Grand Ole Opry and toured extensively together until parting ways professionally in 1981.
Though the song’s premise—preferring a committed relationship without the legal ties of marriage—was slightly risqué for 1976 country radio, its lighthearted delivery and impeccable harmonies made it radio-friendly. The B-side, “His and Hers,” also charted at No. 47. The track remains a staple on classic country playlists and is frequently included in compilations of great country duets.
Video
Lyric
I don’t want to have to marry you
I don’t want to have to say “I do”
I want our love to be free
The way God meant love to be
I don’t want to have to marry youI don’t want to have to do the things we do
To make our love go on
Something we can build uponCan you stay with me tonight
Don’t leave me here alone
I need you now to hold me tight
To make me feel at homeI don’t want to have to marry you
I don’t want to have to say “I do”
I want our love to be free
The way God meant love to be
I don’t want to have to marry you[instrumental break]
Can you stay with me tonight
Don’t leave me here alone
I need you now to hold me tight
To make me feel at homeI don’t want to have to marry you
I don’t want to have to say “I do”
I want our love to be free
The way God meant love to be
I don’t want to have to marry you
No, I don’t want to have to marry you