"Backside of Thirty" is a song written and recorded by American
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 ...
artist
John Conlee
John Wayne Conlee (born August 11, 1946) is an American country music singer.
Between 1978 and 2004, Conlee charted a total of 32 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, and recorded 11 studio albums. His singles include seven ...
. It was released in February 1979 as the third single from the album ''
Rose Colored Glasses''. The song was Conlee's third country hit and second number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country chart.
The song was originally recorded by
Joe Stampley
Joe Stampley (born June 6, 1943) is an American country music singer. He had success as the lead singer of a rock group, in a country duo with Moe Bandy and as a solo performer. Stampley has released over 20 albums and more than 60 singles in ...
on his 1976 album, ''Ten Songs About Her''.
Content
The song is about a 35-year-old working man whose aspirations of family life and the American dream come undone after a particularly acrimonious divorce. With his ex-wife and young son having left him, the man bemoans his brokeness, despair and solace in the bottle. When friends ask him about how things are going, he puts up his bravado, saying things are fine, although he admits "''my eyes tell a story that my lies can't hide''."
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
1976 songs
Joe Stampley songs
John Conlee songs
1979 singles
ABC Records singles
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