"Never Had It So Good" is a song co-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
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter (born February 21, 1958) is an American country and folk music singer-songwriter. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C.-area clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records. Carpenter's firs ...
. It was released in September 1989 as the second single from the album ''
State of the Heart''. The song reached #8 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 Singles & Tracks
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. ...
chart. Carpenter wrote and produced the song with
John Jennings.
Content
The song is about a relationship with Carpenter's ex-boyfriend at the time, telling him that he "never had it so good" now that he is in another relationship. Carpenter said of the song, "when I wrote it, I had no idea it would wind up on the radio. Neither did he."
Critical reception
An uncredited review in ''
Cashbox'' was favorable toward the song, stating that "This cut brings out Carpenter’s distinct vocals like never before and lets us know just how beautifully she can handle a tune guaranteed to conquer radio airplay. 'Never Had It So Good'
..xpresses the true contentment within a relationship—and rising star Carpenter has never sounded so good."
Chart performance
Year-end charts
References
{{authority control
1989 singles
Mary Chapin Carpenter songs
Songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter
Columbia Records singles
Songs written by John Jennings (musician)
1989 songs