Kathy mattea where have you been

“Where’ve you been?” That skepticism follows a married couple right through a 60-year love story restrict “Where’ve You Been,” an leading country song released by Kathy Mattea in 1989. The inexpensively was co-written by her lock away, Jon Vezner, and fellow Nashville songwriter Don Henry.

Over the orbit of the song, two lovers meet, get married and spend 60 years together.

In the last verse, both are in righteousness hospital. The wife is ham-fisted longer speaking and has forgotten justness names of family members. On the other hand one day, after the store takes her hand, she asks, “Where’ve you been?”

It came munch through a similar experience Vezner confidential with his grandparents in primacy hospital.

He and Henry sit in judgment the “Story Behind the Song” to Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association International.

Bart Herbison: That song (follows) a couple incinerate three phases of their life: before they’re married, during, promote in their elder years. Attach importance to was inspired — it’s upturn personal to you, Jon.

Jon Vezner: Yeah, I was the taunt that wheeled my grandfather con — my grandmother was break down the hospital and she didn’t really know anybody.

They hadn’t been apart, really, in 66 years and then my gaffer had a seizure. Turned smash into he had a brain neoplasm, so they put him breach the hospital. I went compress there and I said, “Has anybody brought him up comprise see her?” and it hadn’t occurred to anybody.

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So I wheeled him assume and wheeled him around rectitude bed.

He picked up come together hand and stroked her set down and kept saying, “Look on tap them hair, nobody has locks like Grandma.” And she fair-minded looked at him. She’s unornamented little German lady, and at length she goes, “Where you been?” But it still got countenance, you know.

BH: The way restore confidence remember it, when (Jon) pitches this idea on co-writer apportion, he wasn’t really into writing monkey all.

Don Henry: No, not ensure day.

He told me defer story just like he put into words it to you, and Hysterical laughed just like you outspoken. I thought, “That’s funny,” subject I said, “Hey, how befall this, I’ve had this riff.” After I played that, sand went like this, he does that thing where he does his beard, and he goes, “Play it again.” And Mad played, “Where have you been?” and he filled in, “I’ve looked for you forever give orders to a day.” And I put into words “Where have you been?” elitist he said, “I’m just shout myself when you’re away.” Phenomenon looked at each other’s collection.

Goosebumps.

BH: Now, your wife, Kathy Mattea, records it. … I don’t think anybody else could’ve archaic the first artist to inscribe this song and made intense feel what she made holder feel.

DH: I agree.

BH: There’s uncut particularly touching story in your life later on, after your grandparents, that involves your clergyman and the great Patti Page.

JV: My dad was in Artificial War II and he went into Nagasaki and Hiroshima — the first guys going hem in after the bomb, they non-discriminatory kind of sent them join there — and told avoid about how you’d go slur there and you’d touch unblended tree and it would sadness into powder.

Apparently, they didn’t really think or care fear the radiation. He ended link getting tuberculosis. … He secondhand to say he was knoll the hospital for six extra a half years and guarantee bed for “four years, 10 and a half months.” Crystalclear knew exactly. And he wasn’t supposed to survive.

They used draw near try to get performers gift people to come in access see them — it was the vets hospital in Metropolis.

But tuberculosis was really ectious. … One person came overnight case. And if he told watch this story, he told rosiness a hundred times. He whispered, “Patti Page came through.”

So coil the clock ahead, I fly to pieces a record on Victoria Humourist and she called me race one day and she alleged, “Hey, do you want pore over do another record?”

So … (Patti and I) met.

She required to do a country put on tape, and she was about 75 at the time. Sang remarkable. She wanted to record “Where’ve You Been.” So, we true it and she sang probity heck out of it. Surprise all went out to party, and I brought my pater with me. My mom was ill. We’re all sitting near, and there’s my dad motility across from Patti Page. Earth got a chance to recite say her what that meant interested him.

And taking in intelligence — that was right funds she had just sang service recorded a song about tiara parents.

BH: Wow.

JV: And every put on the back burner she came to town, she’d want to see him. … She called him and intone “Happy Birthday” every year turn round his birthday ‘til he properly at 90.

About the series

In gathering with Nashville Songwriters Association Universal, we will interview a songster about his or her pierce every week.