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that she's dissatisfied with her life. At age 36, the wife informs her husband that she is no longer in love with him and leaves him. In the chorus's bridge, Carpenter describes the housewife's having worked for 15 years without a raise, and now has a minimum-wage job in an office typing pool. Music critic David Browne, writing for
288:
TV commercial in which a man points to his wife’s many accomplishments and attributes, and then concludes with "My wife...I think I'll keep her". The song describes the life of a woman who marries at age 21 and has three children by the age of 29; over the following few years, she begins to realize
770:
306:, regarded as a reference to the lyric "Everything runs right on time" in the refrain. Its instrumentation has been described as "standard" and similar to that of many other country songs of the time, with steel guitars and keyboards.
449:
chart, where it peaked at number two the same month. It also became, following "Down at the Twist and Shout", her second song to peak at number two on that chart as well.
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of "women caught between tradition and contemporary roles who realize that the solution lies with their own inner resolve".
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The music video – a live performance of the song with backing vocals by (in left-to-right order when looking at the stage)
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chart, peaking at number two on the chart dated March 26, 1994. It spent twenty weeks on the chart, and tied with "
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with Bud
Schaetzle as director, which was filmed in 1993 and premiered early the next year.
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214:. It was released in December 1993 as the sixth single from the album
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284:, Carpenter stated that the song's title was inspired by a 1970s
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606:""He Thinks He'll Keep Her" strikes a blow for country feminism"
435:", and surpassed later that year (November 18, 1994), when her "
895:
663:(CD). Mary Chapin Carpenter. Columbia Records. 1992. CK 48881.
793:"Mary Chapin Carpenter Chart History (Hot Country Songs)"
689:"Chart History: Mary Chapin Carpenter: Hot Country Songs"
717:"Chart History: Mary Chapin Carpenter: Country Airplay"
442:
The single became
Carpenter's fifth top ten hit on the
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The single became
Carpenter's sixth top ten hit on the
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302:The song's backing vocals have been compared to a
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206:" is a song co-written and recorded by American
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673:: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
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461:s year-end Hot Country Songs chart in 1994.
403:, was taken from the CBS television special
238:, and was accompanied by a live performance
783:. March 28, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
745:"Year-End Charts: Hot Country Songs (1994)"
603:
452:The single was placed at number sixteen on
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27:
604:VanDerWerff, Emily Todd (14 March 2013).
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227:chart. It was written by Carpenter and
1205:Songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter
1147:
839:
246:, where Carpenter was accompanied by
812:"RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994"
343:– electric guitar, background vocals
16:1993 single by Mary-Chapin Carpenter
236:Grammy Award for Record of the Year
220:. The song peaked at No. 2 on the
13:
1210:Columbia Nashville Records singles
771:Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2426
515:
464:
242:, taken from the 1993 CBS special
14:
1226:
631:"Review: Come On Come On (1992)"
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637:. July 17, 1992. Archived from
234:The song was nominated for the
1123:Party Doll and Other Favorites
653:
571:
374:
273:
1:
929:Shooting Straight in the Dark
564:
415:
314:Credits are adapted from the
278:In a 1992 interview with the
1200:Songs written by Don Schlitz
583:. "Smart Talk: Shortcuts,"
557:
539:
474:
410:
309:
7:
1160:Mary Chapin Carpenter songs
953:Down at the Twist and Shout
781:Library and Archives Canada
429:Down at the Twist and Shout
10:
1231:
1195:Songs with feminist themes
471:
22:"He Thinks He'll Keep Her"
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331:– vocals, acoustic guitar
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1060:Tender When I Want to Be
1024:He Thinks He'll Keep Her
204:He Thinks He'll Keep Her
179:He Thinks He'll Keep Her
531:Canada Country Tracks (
482:Canada Country Tracks (
148:Mary Chapin Carpenter,
133:Mary Chapin Carpenter,
1089:Let Me into Your Heart
917:Something of a Dreamer
439:" reached number one.
1180:Trisha Yearwood songs
867:Mary Chapin Carpenter
329:Mary Chapin Carpenter
212:Mary Chapin Carpenter
157:Mary-Chapin Carpenter
41:Mary-Chapin Carpenter
1175:Patty Loveless songs
1165:Emmylou Harris songs
1079:A Place in the World
903:Never Had It So Good
641:on December 18, 2009
635:Entertainment Weekly
292:Entertainment Weekly
1053:Shut Up and Kiss Me
989:Not Too Much to Ask
820:. December 12, 1994
669:cite AV media notes
437:Shut Up and Kiss Me
1185:Suzy Bogguss songs
1170:Kathy Mattea songs
1101:Working Class Hero
1043:Stones in the Road
886:State of the Heart
472:Chart (1993-1994)
159:singles chronology
1142:
1141:
1031:I Take My Chances
1003:Passionate Kisses
960:Going Out Tonight
562:
561:
513:
512:
498:Hot Country Songs
433:I Take My Chances
425:Hot Country Songs
349:– electric guitar
225:Hot Country Songs
200:
199:
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188:I Take My Chances
1222:
1190:Pam Tillis songs
1111:Grow Old with Me
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405:Women of Country
297:Come On, Come On
244:Women of Country
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72:December 6, 1993
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447:Country Airplay
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389:Trisha Yearwood
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321:Come On Come On
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281:Chicago Tribune
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260:Trisha Yearwood
217:Come On Come On
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1067:House of Cards
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248:Emmylou Harris
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64:"Only a Dream"
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939:You Win Again
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910:Quittin' Time
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610:The A.V. Club
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587:, 1992-09-06.
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554:
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547:Country Songs
544:
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523:Chart (1994)
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370:
369:Hammond organ
366:
365:Benmont Tench
363:
360:
359:Matt Rollings
357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
341:John Jennings
339:
337:– bass guitar
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208:country music
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150:John Jennings
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128:Songwriter(s)
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1155:1993 singles
1121:
1099:
1077:
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1023:
1010:The Hard Way
982:I Feel Lucky
970:
927:
884:
822:. Retrieved
815:
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788:
774:
765:
753:. Retrieved
748:
724:. Retrieved
720:
696:. Retrieved
692:
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643:. Retrieved
639:the original
634:
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613:. Retrieved
609:
578:
573:
550:
532:
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483:
453:
451:
443:
441:
421:
419:
404:
401:Suzy Bogguss
385:Kathy Mattea
378:
353:Andy Newmark
319:
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279:
277:
264:Suzy Bogguss
252:Kathy Mattea
243:
233:
221:
215:
203:
201:
178:
48:
1133:Almost Home
877:Discography
375:Music video
316:liner notes
274:Composition
240:music video
229:Don Schlitz
143:Producer(s)
135:Don Schlitz
1215:1992 songs
1149:Categories
995:Joe Diffie
565:References
416:Commercial
393:Pam Tillis
268:Pam Tillis
946:Right Now
824:August 4,
798:Billboard
749:Billboard
721:Billboard
693:Billboard
577:Staff of
552:Billboard
526:Position
503:Billboard
477:position
455:Billboard
444:Billboard
422:Billboard
411:Reception
335:Bob Glaub
310:Personnel
304:metronome
222:Billboard
755:July 20,
726:July 20,
698:July 20,
645:July 20,
615:July 20,
580:WomaNews
120:Columbia
77:Recorded
69:Released
1017:The Bug
869:singles
399:, and
361:– piano
355:– drums
286:Geritol
210:artist
192:(1994)
183:(1993)
174:(1992)
170:The Bug
91:Country
993:(with
896:How Do
751:. 1994
97:Length
59:B-side
37:Single
459:'
115:Label
86:Genre
826:2013
757:2021
728:2021
700:2021
675:link
647:2021
617:2021
475:Peak
266:and
80:1992
817:RPM
801:.
776:RPM
773:."
558:16
545:US
540:74
534:RPM
496:US
485:RPM
318:of
39:by
1151::
991:"
814:.
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779:.
747:.
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719:.
708:^
691:.
671:}}
667:{{
633:.
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592:^
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509:2
506:)
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383:,
367:–
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102:4
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