"Then and Only Then" is a song written by Bill Anderson and recorded by the American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

artist,

Connie Smith Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador; August 14, 1941) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity ...

, on her

album. It was produced by Bob Ferguson and released in January 1965, reaching the Top 5 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 ...

'' country music chart in early 1965, becoming her second major hit. It was her follow-up single to her multi-week number one hit, " Once a Day", which was released the previous year.

Background and content

"Then and Only Then" was one of a series of hit songs written by Anderson for Smith. (Others included "Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" and "

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

".) It was recorded at

RCA Victor Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

' Studio B in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, on November 18, 1964. Produced by Ferguson, the session featured Nashville's "A-Team" of musicians, including members of Anderson's backing band, The Po' Boys. The storyline of "Then and Only Then" describes how a woman's lover has temporarily left her, saying that he will return. The female narrator forgets when he will be returning and says that when he returns, "then and only then" she will stop crying. The song's chorus further explains the storyline: In the song's original recording, Smith is featured not only singing the lead vocals, but also playing the guitar accompaniment, as she did for her previous single. "Then and Only Then" has since been recorded by the American country singer,

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...

, for her 1965 studio album, '' Blue Kentucky Girl''.

Chart performance

"Then and Only Then" was Smith's second single released on RCA Victor Records. The song was issued to radio in January 1965, becoming a major hit shortly thereafter, reaching #4 on the ''

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. ...

chart, while peaking outside the ''Billboard'' Top Pop 100, reaching #116. The B-side, "Tiny Blue Transistor Radio", also charted the country music list, peaking at #25 during the same time.

Charts

References

{{Connie Smith singles 1965 singles Songs written by Bill Anderson (singer) Connie Smith songs Loretta Lynn songs Song recordings produced by Bob Ferguson (musician) RCA Victor singles 1965 songs