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Introduction
Alan Jackson has written or co-written plenty of his own songs. It’s Jackson who is the writer on songs like “Here in the Real World”, “Chattahoochee“, “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”, and more.
But for all of his songwriting talent, Alan Jackson has also released several songs that he didn’t write. We found four hits that sound like they were written by Jackson, but were actually written by someone else instead.
“Gone Country” was written by Bob McDill, out in 1994 on Jackson’s Who I Am album. Before Jackson recorded “Gone Country”, several other artists had already passed on the song. It’s fortunate for Jackson, who wishes he had written the song himself.
“When I first heard this song, I fell in love with it,” Jackson says (via Wide Open Country). “I wish that I’d written it cause it says a lot of things that I’d like to say. I think it’s just a fun song actually, celebrating how country music has become more widespread and accepted by all types of people all over the country.”
“Between The Devil And Me” is written by Harley Allen and Carson Chamberlain, released in 1997 on Jackson’s Everything I Love record. The song is also one of Jackson’s strongest vocal deliveries.
The song says in part, “The gates of hell swing open wide / Inviting me to step inside / I’ll be your friend / He calls again, I know it’s him / The flames are spreading everywhere / Through the smoke I see her there / She’s all I see, between the Devil and me.”
Jackson also includes “The Devil And Me” on his Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story 2015 project.
“Little Bitty” is written by Tom T. Hall, and also included on Everything I Love. The platinum-selling single sounds like something Jackson would write, with lines like
According to The Boot, “Little Bitty” is not only significant because it was a No. 1 hit for Jackson. It also marks Hall’s first big hit as a songwriter, after saying he was retiring from songwriting in 1986.
“Right On The Money”
“Right On The Money” is written by Phil Vassar and Charlie Black. The song is on Jackson’s 1996 High Mileage record. It became Jackson’s 16h No. 1 single.
The laidback, feel-good track says in part, “She’s right on the money / She goes direct to my heart / When it comes to lovin’ me / She’s everything I need, bulls eye-perfect / She’s right on the money.”
Jackson only wrote five of the ten songs on High Mileage. The album also includes “Gone Crazy” and “Little Man”, both hits that Jackson wrote by himself.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Grand Ole Opry