The Race Is On

George Jones

About The Race Is On

"The Race Is On" is a song written by Don Rollins and made a hit on the country music charts by George Jones and on the pop and easy listening charts by the unrelated Jack Jones. (This is not the Don Rollins who co-wrote "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" for Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett.) George's version was the first single released from his 1965 album of the same name. Released as a single in September 1964, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1965. Jack's version topped Billboard's Easy Listening chart and reached number 15 on the Hot 100 the same year. The two recordings combined to reach number 12 on the Cashbox charts, which combined all covers of the same song in one listing and thus gave George Jones his only top-40 hit. The song uses thoroughbred horse racing as the metaphor for the singer's romantic relationships. 


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I feel tears wellin' up
Cold and deep inside
Like my heart's sprung a big break
And a stab of loneliness sharp and painful
That I may never shake
Now, you might say that I was takin' it hard
Since you wrote me off with a call
But don't you wager that I'll hide the sorrow
When I may break right down and bawl

Now the race is on
And here comes pride up the backstretch
Heartaches are goin' to the inside
My tears are holdin' back
They're tryin' not to fall
My heart's out of the runnin'
True love's scratched for another's sake
The race is on and it looks like heartache
And the winner loses all

One day I ventured in love
Never once suspectin'
What the final result would be
How I lived in fear of wakin' up each mornin'
And findin' that you're gone from me
There's ache and pain in my heart
For today was the one I hated to face
Somebody new came up to win her
And I came out in second place

Now the race is on
And here comes pride up the backstretch
Heartaches are goin' to the inside
My tears are holdin' back
They're tryin' not to fall
My heart's out of the runnin'
True love's scratched for another's sake
The race is on and it looks like heartaches
And the winner loses all

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George Jones

George Glenn Jones (born September 12, 1931) is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette. more »

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Written by: Donald Edmond Rollins

Lyrics © GLAD MUSIC CO., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


3 facts about this song

George Jones" Specific
George Jones is a legendary country singer who is known as one of the greatest of all time. His rendition of the song "The Race Is On" reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in 1964. - Purely country, George Jones' version of "The Race Is On" is from his 11th studio album titled "I Get Lonely in a Hurry", released in 1964. - Interestingly, George Jones was not the first choice to perform this song. It was initially offered to another Country superstar, Faron Young, who regretfully turned it down. - The song was written by Don Rollins and describes a failed relationship using the metaphor of horse racing; this resonated with George Jones's often tumultuous personal life.
Jack Jones" Specific
Jack Jones, a celebrated American jazz and pop singer, also covered "The Race Is On". Jones is best known for his Billboard Hot 100 number one hits like "Wives and Lovers" and "Lollipops and Roses". - His version of "The Race is On," took a more pop approach, differentiating it from George Jones' country version. It was part of his 1965 album "My Kind of Town". - Jack Jones' rendition of "The Race Is On" peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in 1965. - Interestingly, Jack Jones was also part of the animated classic 'The Love Boat', where he was the singer for the show's theme song.
General Facts
"The Race Is On" was covered by numerous artists across different music genres. Besides George Jones and Jack Jones, other performers include Travis Tritt, Sawyer Brown, and Grateful Dead, all of whom brought their unique sound to this enduring song. - The song gained renewed interest when it was included in the soundtrack of the 1980 film "Smokey and the Bandit II". - In 2020, both versions of "The Race is On" by George Jones and Jack Jones were featured in an episode of the TV series "The Crown". This drew new attention to the song, introducing it to a new generation of listeners.

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    The Race Is On

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1965

    Billboard #96


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