Many country fans hail George Jones as the greatest singer in the history of country music. Songs like "The Grand Tour" helped him secure that title. The single from 1947 didn't just bring Jones his fifth solo No. 1. It also saw the singer and his producer, Billy Sherrill achieving what the latter would call an "ah-ha" moment. They found a way to make the rich lows of Jones' voice meld with Sherrill's production style and created something utterly timeless. That combined with some of the most heartbreaking lyrics in the genre's history made for an unforgettable combination.
The video below shows Jones and his band, the Jones Boys performing the song live. The clip proves that even without the larger-than-life production style that Sherrill brought to the table, "The Grand Tour" is still among the finest songs ever recorded and Jones is one of if not the only singer who could do it justice.
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As the top comment on the performance states, "There will never be another country singer that can rip your heart out like George Jones." A tough statement to argue, as Jones has a nack unlike any other to tug at the heartstrings.
When George Jones released "The Grand Tour" in May 1974, he hadn't had a No. 1 solo single in nearly a decade. "Walk Through This World with Me" took him to the top of the chart in 1967. So, "The Grand Tour" represented something of a comeback for Jones much like "He Stopped Loving Her Today" did for him a few years later.
Norro Wilson, Carmol Taylor, and George Richey wrote the song. However, Jones lived the lyrics to some degree. At the time, he was twice divorced and married to Tammy Wynette. Their marriage would end the next year. So, he knew all about the heart-wrenching pain of being in a house where love once lived. As a result, he was able to infuse his pain into his performance, taking "The Grand Tour" to a higher level.
On the other hand, some, including Cocaine & Rhinestones host and country music historian Tyler Mahan Coe, don't believe the song is about a breakup. During his season-long deep dive into Jones' life and career, Coe posited that "The Grand Tour" is from the perspective of a widower.
Coe pointed to the fact that she left everything behind. "She took none of her possessions-only the baby and his heart-because we have to leave this world the same way we enter it: with nothing but our body," Coe said. "Some people happen to leave while another body is growing inside of them," he added.
As Coe points out, the only line that makes a solid argument for the divorce interpretation is "She left me without mercy." However, the line could point to a sudden and unexpected-or merciless-passing. Then again, they could have planned to name the unborn baby Mercy.
No matter which side of the debate you fall on, "The Grand Tour" is a sad and beautiful song.