At its heart, Mama Tried is a book with a soundtrack. After all, this is a novel with a country DJ as a protagonist and names of classic country songs as chapter titles. Below are those chapter titles at their absolute best: Set to sweet melodies by stars beloved by longtime country music fans or still awaiting discovery by curious readers new to the genre. If you’d rather hear all the tunes like an actual soundtrack, click on the Spotify playlist.
Spotify playlist of songs from Mama Tried chapters
Prologue: “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” —Emmylou Harris https://youtu.be/K28hQ3o3VcQ
Chapter 1: “Roll On, Big Mama”—Joe Stampley https://youtu.be/KsPJt7X9r_8
Chapter 2: “Delta Dawn”—Tanya Tucker https://youtu.be/g6ymXTFFtnc
Chapter 3: “Mama Tried”—Merle Haggard https://youtu.be/UKuc4nfJByc
Chapter 4: “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”—Kenny Rogers https://youtu.be/PJMoPDUP_24
Chapter 5: “Older Women”—Ronnie McDowell https://youtu.be/fIIon1S1Das
Chapter 6: “Fist City”—Loretta Lynn https://youtu.be/3EE20H7aZ3k
Chapter 7: “Behind Closed Doors”—Charlie Rich https://youtu.be/O3iEFfA4TmI
Chapter 8: “When I Dream”—Crystal Gayle https://youtu.be/t3lP727c6DQ
Chapter 9: “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”—Waylon Jennings https://youtu.be/URLAEZkH1Os
Chapter 10: “Beware of the Tall, Dark Stranger”—Buck Owens https://youtu.be/OTHAXsLpgbk
Chapter 11: “Lead Me On”—Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn https://youtu.be/E78ivF85Dqo
Chapter 12: “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”—Johnny Cash https://youtu.be/Ba3P0aH1Hxs
Chapter 13: “Why Lady Why”—Alabama https://youtu.be/QhfMh9qbnPE
Chapter 14: “I Don’t Wanna Play House”—Tammy Wynette https://youtu.be/wuMCBE9yUqg
Chapter 15: “I’d Love to Lay You Down”—Conway Twitty https://youtu.be/d7FspsAHqfQ
Chapter 16: “The Man That Turned My Mama On”—Tanya Tucker https://youtu.be/BjNH0xdYMsk
Chapter 17: “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”—Willie Nelson https://youtu.be/crgtWomWg90
Chapter 18: “Why Not Me”—The Judds https://youtu.be/QibW07lkIYk
Chapter 19: “Your Cheatin’ Heart”—Hank Williams https://youtu.be/2tiGG45ge9g
Chapter 20: “Broken Lady”—Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers https://youtu.be/wGazQPdf7PU
Chapter 21: “I Fall To Pieces”—Patsy Cline https://youtu.be/iuZTk1hdpMs
Chapter 22: “Here You Come Again”—Dolly Parton https://youtu.be/bflkeWVTNk0
Chapter 23: “If It Weren’t For Him”—Vince Gill with Roseanne Cash https://youtu.be/t7eX7zwnNTs
Chapter 24: “She’s Got You”—Patsy Cline https://youtu.be/MWCUh6tf7PA
Chapter 25: “A Thing Called Love”—Jerry Reed https://youtu.be/KfEeLSi7y-I
Chapter 26: “Old Flame”—Alabama https://youtu.be/WEvhGxpasoE
Chapter 27: “If We Make It Through December”—Merle Haggard https://youtu.be/U9TByT3QlWc
Chapter 28: “Life Turned Her That Way”—Charley Pride https://youtu.be/1lhuLyU0v9k
Chapter 29: “Ready For The Times To Get Better”—Crystal Gayle https://youtu.be/yzniDJMN4dk
Chapter 30: “Forgiving You Was Easy”—Willie Nelson https://youtu.be/RvLvEEcBlk8
Chapter 31: “Hungry Eyes”—Merle Haggard https://youtu.be/qcFC8KjNjv0
Chapter 32: “He Stopped Loving Her Today”—George Jones https://youtu.be/es1uCh48TNY
Chapter 33: “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground”—Willie Nelson https://youtu.be/3_cEMvRwyRE
Epilogue: “We Believe In Happy Endings”—Johnny Rodriguez https://youtu.be/Oy2jd6F2ddI
And, of course, we can’t sign off without offering this gorgeous tune. While it’s not a chapter title, it – like so many other timeless tunes – is part of the novel’s very heartbeat.
“Go Rest High On That Mountain” – Vince Gill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jXrmAKBBTU