That he never should have been
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know, the last one to show
I was the last one you thought you'd see there
And I saw the surprise and the fear in his eyes
When I took his glass of champagne and I toasted you
Said, "Honey, we may be through
But you'll never hear me complain"
No Fences is the second studio album recorded by American Country Music artist Garth Brooks. It was released by Capitol Records through their Capitol Nashville imprint on August 27, 1990.
On the heels of his blockbuster self-titled debut, Garth sought to eschew the slicker elements of 80s Country and incorporate more rock elements into his sound. Still, this album, like its predecessor, would be a mix of every emotion.
The result would be an album that would serve to drive a new boom in country pop music.
Critically, it was another smash. It was graded A by Entertainment Weekly, and given 4 out of 5 stars on The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Today, AllMusic gives the album a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
Commercially, however, it exploded, going eighteen-times Platinum in the United States, earning one of the first Diamond certifications from the RIAA when it was instituted in 1999. It is his best-selling album to this day. It would peak at #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, but would be on its Top 40 for 126 consecutive weeks, sitting in the Top 10 of its year-end chart in 1991 and 1992, and still being #47 on the 1993 year-end chart. It would land at #4 on the decade-end Billboard 200 album chart for The '90s.
It was also his first album to be released in Europe. It ended up going five-times Platinum in Ireland. The European cut added the four singles released from his debut album.
The album spawned four singles: "Friends in Low Places", "Unanswered Prayers", "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House", and "The Thunder Rolls". All four would top the Billboard Hot Country chart. "Wild Horses" would be released in 2001.
No Fences would win Garth the Album of the Year statuette at the 1991 Country Music Awards. It was supposed to be reissued for its 25th anniversary with a star-studded re-recording of "Friends in Low Places", but it was never released due to royalty disputes. The song would eventually end up on Gunslinger (the Ultimate Edition version).
Tracklist
- "The Thunder Rolls" (3:43)
- "New Way To Fly" (3:55)
- "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" (2:33)
- "Victim of the Game" (3:09)
- "Friends in Low Places" (4:18)
- "Wild Horses" (3:12)
- "Unanswered Prayers" (3:26)
- "Same Old Story" (2:53)
- "Mr. Blue" (3:17)
- "Wolves" (4:06)
"We're two of a kind, workin' on a full trope page:"
- Audience Participation Song: This became something big with "Friends in Low Places". His Double Live live album is an excellent example.
- Babies Ever After: The couple in "Two of a Kind" are certainly working on making that happen.
- Bitter Wedding Speech: "Friends in Low Places", which is set at the wedding reception of the subject's ex-girlfriend. It's implied the subject crashed the wedding.
- Death by Woman Scorned: The full version of "The Thunder Rolls" alludes to this. This last verse was actually cut from its single release.She runs back down the hallway, and through the bedroom door
She reaches for the pistol kept in the dresser drawer
Tells the lady in the mirror, "He won't do this again"
'Cause tonight will be the last time she'll wonder where he's been - Domestic Abuse: The video for "The Thunder Rolls" adds visuals that suggest this is the case. It could've helped fuel the original ending, if the music video didn't follow the single in cutting it out.
- Dual-Meaning Chorus: Occurs in "Wolves". The lyric refers to actual wolves killing a farmer's livestock in the first verse, while the rest of the song uses it to refer to the expression "keep the wolf from the door
". - Lampshaded Double Entendre: From "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House":We really fit together if you know what I'm talking about
- Re Release The Song: "Wild Horses" was issued as a single in 2001.
