Randy Travis broke into the country music scene in 1985 with his debut single, “On the Other Hand.” A year later, his label released the song again, and it became his first No. 1. This set the tone for the rest of the decade, which brought him a string of classic hits, including his second No. 1, “Diggin’ Up Bones.”
“Diggin’ Up Bones” is a breakup song, but it isn’t the typical tear-jerking broken heart tune. It’s also not about a guy dragging his sorrow to the local bar to drink it away. Instead, this song sees a man surrounded by memories and mementos left behind by his recent ex. It’s at the same time incredibly mature and hopeful. In short, it shows the kind of attitude that helps heartbreak heal. Watching Travis perform the song live makes it that much better.
[RELATED: At No. 1 on This Day in 1989, Randy Travis’ Timeless Country Love Song Written Specifically for Those Who Might Never See the Ocean]
Randy Travis Scores Another Hit with a Paul Overstreet-Penned Song
Paul Overstreet has writing credits on some of Randy Travis’ biggest hits. For instance, he and Don Schlitz co-wrote “Deeper Than the Holler,” “On the Other Hand,” and “Forever and Ever, Amen.” Overstreet also co-wrote “Diggin’ Up Bones” with Al Gore.
According to Songfacts, Overstreet and Gore wrote “Diggin’ Up Bones” on Thanksgiving Day in 1983, at Gore’s house. After eating their holiday meal, they sat down to work on the song. Overstreet had the title, and they traded lines to flesh out the concept.
Initially, Overstreet planned to record the song. However, when Warner Bros. Records called him asking if he had any more songs for Randy Travis, he pitched this one. This wasn’t the first time it happened this way.
Paul Overstreet on Giving Travis a No. 1 Single
In a recent interview with American Songwriter, Overstreet recalled that he and Schlitz pitched “On the Other Hand” to producer Kyle Lehning for Dan Seals. Lehning didn’t like the song for Seals. However, he was helping Travis build his first album and thought it would be a perfect fit.
If Seals, an established artist, wasn’t going to record the song, Overstreet decided to keep it and record it for his debut album. “Everybody else wanted to let Kyle cut it on this new artist. I was just fighting it a little bit. Then, I was driving down Music Row one day, and I got this little Bible verse going through my head. It is more blessed to give than to receive,” he recalled. “So, I called everybody and told them to let them have the song. That’s how our relationship with Randy started. We didn’t even really know his name,” he added.
The decision to take a chance on an unknown artist led to Overstreet landing multiple hits as a songwriter. It also provided listeners with some of the best country songs of the 1980s and ’90s.
Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns
