"A Satisfied Mind" is a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

song written by Joe "Red" Hayes and

Jack Rhodes Andrew Jackson "Jack" Rhodes (January 12, 1907 – October 9, 1968) was an American country music producer and songwriter, with songwriting credits on over 625 released songs. Several of his songs became hit records, including " A Satisfied Mi ...

. Hayes explained the origin of the song in an interview: "The song came from my mother. Everything in the song are things I heard her say over the years. I put a lot of thought into the song before I came up with the title. One day my father-in-law asked me who I thought the richest man in the world was, and I mentioned some names. He said, 'You're wrong; it is the man with a satisfied mind.'" The song has been covered by a variety of well-known artists.

Notable covers

* Porter Wagoner charted at No. 1 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

list in 1955. * Red and Betty Foley charted at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs list in 1955. * Jean Shepard charted at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs list in 1955. *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

on 1955 album '' The First Lady of Song (Decca)'' The most impressive version in the pop market, the single reached No. 25 on the "Music Vendor" Top 100, with 15 weeks in the chart. * John McCutcheon on 1987 album '' Gonna Rise Again'' * Cowboy Copas on his 1962 album '' Opry Star Spotlight (Starday)'' * Hamilton Camp on his 1964 album ''Paths of Victory'' (Elektra) *

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

on her 1965 album '' Farewell, Angelina''; later appeared on her 1979 compilation ''Satisfied Mind''. *

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

on their 1965 album '' Turn! Turn! Turn!''. *

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

B-side of a 1966 single (A-side: "Can't You See I'm Trying"), added to the 1971 Pickwick re-release of his 1962 album ''Big Bluegrass Special'': '' A Satisfied Mind'' *

Ian and Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. History Early ...

on their 1966 album '' Play One More (Vanguard)'' * Bobby Hebb's 1966 revival peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 40 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles Chart. *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

and

The Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...

, recorded in 1967, released in 2014 on '' The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete''. **Dylan also recorded the song for his 1980 album '' Saved'' *The

International Submarine Band The International Submarine Band (ISB) was a country-rock band formed by Gram Parsons in 1965, while a theology (?) student at Harvard University and John Nuese, a guitar player for local rock group, The Trolls. Nuese is credited with having pe ...

on their 1968 album '' Safe at Home''. *

Goose Creek Symphony The Goose Creek Symphony is an American rock band with roots in Arizona and Kentucky. It was formed in 1968 in Phoenix, Arizona, as an outlet for the songs of Charlie Gearheart (aka Ritchie Hart). It was best known for its 1972 cover of the Jani ...

on their eponymous 1970 album *

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk music and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his own success, his songs " If I Were a Carpenter", " Reason to Believe", " Misty Roses" and " ...

on his 1971 album '' Bird on a Wire'' * Dallas Holm on his 1971 album "For Teens Only” *

Sonny James Jimmie Hugh Loden (May 1, 1928February 22, 2016), known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, " Young Love", topping both the ''Billboard'' Hot Country and Disk Jockey s ...

on his 1973 album ''If She Helps Me Get Over You'' * Roy Drusky on 1973 single. It peaked at No. 25 on US country and 38 on Canada country, making it his last top forty on the charts. * Faron Young recorded it as the title track to his 1973 album, ''Satisfied Mind''. Red Hayes toured with Faron Young and Vassar Clements on their 1973 UK Tour, and died on stage on March 2, 1973, in Manchester UK. * John Martyn on his 1975 album '' Sunday's Child'' * Bryan Bowers on his 1977 album '' The View From Home'' *

David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville. He ini ...

on his 1977 album '' Texas Moon'' *

Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayl Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, ''Ramblin' on My Mind (Lucinda Williams album), Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and ''Happy Woman Blues'' (198 ...

on her 1978 album '' Ramblin''' *

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are an American rock band formed in 1972 in Springfield, Missouri. They are most widely known for their singles " If You Wanna Get to Heaven" in 1974 and " Jackie Blue" in 1975. Bassist Michael "Supe" Granda has ...

on their 1978 album "It's Alive". They also recorded a studio version in 1972, later released on their compilation of previously unreleased early recordings The Lost Cabin Sessions. *

Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician, record producer, and the lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with ...

on his 1981 album '' Law and Order'' * Jonathan Richman on his 1990 album '' Jonathan Goes Country'' * The Walkabouts on their 1993 album '' Satisfied Mind'' *

Danny Gatton Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) was an American virtuoso guitarist who combined blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country to create a musical style he called "redneck jazz". Career Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. was born in ...

on his 1993 album ''Cruisin' Deuces'' *

Jeff Buckley Jeffrey Scott Buckley (raised as Scott Moorhead; November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997) was an American musician. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, he attracted a cult following in the early 1990s performing at venues in ...

on his 1998 posthumous album '' Sketches (for My Sweetheart the Drunk)'' The recording was made for a 1992 Radio Session, and had been played at Jeff Buckley's funeral in 1997, which Buckley's mother Mary Guibert mentions as the reason it was included on the collection. * Eric Bibb on his 1999 album '' Spirit & The Blues'' *

Marty Stuart John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country music, country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before be ...

& His Fabulous Superlatives on their 2003 album ''

Country Music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

'' * Blind Boys of Alabama on the 2004 album '' There Will Be a Light'' along with

Ben Harper Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, liv ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

at first being exclusive on '' Kill Bill Vol 2 soundtrack'' (2004) until his posthumously released album '' American VI: Ain't No Grave'' (2010) * Daniel O'Donnell on his 2009 album, '' Peace in the Valley'' *

Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best-known as the primary songwriter and Lead vocalist, frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. He is also a member o ...

from

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guit ...

on his collaboration with the Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I ensemble on the 2009 live benefit album '' A Decade With Duke'' *

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Cash. Although Cash is often classified as a country artist, her music draws f ...

, featuring

Neko Case Neko Richelle Case ( ; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case's singing voice has been described by contemporaries and critics as a "flamethrower", "a pow ...

, a bonus track on the iTunes version of her 2009 album, '' The List'' *

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

on his 2010 album ''

'' and his 2011 album '' Remember Me, Vol. 1'' * Donna Loren on her 2010 album ''Love It Away'' * My Bubba on their 2011 album '' How it's Done in Italy'' *

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...

and the Band of Joy in the 2012 Live from the Artists Den * Kelly Keeling on his CD ''Knollwood Drive'' * Lee Ann Womack on her 2014 album '' The Way I'm Livin''' * Eilen Jewell as a single in 2020 *

Slaughter Beach, Dog Slaughter Beach, Dog is an indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by former Modern Baseball co-lead vocalist Jake Ewald in 2014. Initially starting as one of Ewald's solo projects during his tenure with Modern Baseball, the gr ...

to YouTube in 2024

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Satisfied Mind Songs written by Jack Rhodes The Byrds songs Bob Dylan songs Johnny Cash songs Glen Campbell songs Porter Wagoner songs Red Foley songs Jean Shepard songs Year of song missing