"What If I Said" 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

Anita Cochran Anita Renee Cockerham (born February 6, 1967), known professionally as Anita Cochran, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She has released two albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashville and one for Straybranch Rec ...

as a duet with

Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for Dottie West, he also worked with Bob Luman and Chet Atkins before beginning a solo career in the late ...

. The single was released in November 1997 as was Cochran's only No. 1 single on the U.S. ''Billboard''

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, as well as her only Top 40 single on that chart. In addition, the song was Wariner's first chart entry in three years, as well as his first No. 1 since 1989's "

I Got Dreams ''I Got Dreams'' is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in 1989 by MCA Records. The album includes "Where Did I Go Wrong", "I Got Dreams" and "When I Could Come Home to You". "Where Did I Go W ...

." The song was nominated by the

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...

for Vocal Duet of the Year in 1998. "What If I Said" can be found on Cochran's 1997 album '' Back to You'', as well as Wariner's 1998 album '' Burnin' the Roadhouse Down''.

Content

The song is a ballad with Cochran and Wariner portraying two characters who are in unsatisfying relationships with other people, but express their feelings for each other. It is in the key of

C major C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...

with a primary chord pattern of C9-Dm75 and an approximate tempo of 60

beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

Personnel

From ''Back to You'' liner notes. ;Musicians * Anita Cochran - vocals *

Eddie Bayers Eddie Bayers (born January 28, 1949) is an American session drummer who has played on 300 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for fourteen years, has three times won the Nashville Music ...

- drums *

Eric Darken Eric A. Darken is an American percussionist, composer, and programmer. Biography Drawing inspiration from his grandfather, a band leader. Darken began playing drums at age 12, and played timpani and mallets in high school. Darken attended ...

- percussion * Paul Franklin -

steel guitar A steel guitar () is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar i ...

Nashville String Machine Nashville String Machine is a musical collective comprising session musicians, based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Members of the group have been credited on records dating from 1972 to the present, although the group was formally formed ...

- strings *

Steve Nathan Steven Jay Nathan (born April 20, 1951) is an American keyboardist. He is known for his session work in Muscle Shoals and Nashville studios. Biography Nathan was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. In 1977, Nathan moved to Muscle Shoals, A ...

- piano *

Don Potter Donald Steele Potter (21 April 1902 – 7 June 2004) was an English sculptor, wood carver, potter and teacher. Early life Don Potter was born in Newington, near Sittingbourne, Kent, the son of a school teacher, and attended a private school ...

- acoustic guitar *

Brent Rowan Brent Rowan (born May 28, 1956, in Waxahachie, Texas) is an American session musician and record producer who works primarily in country music. Active since the 1970s, Rowan began working with John Conlee through the recommendation of record produ ...

- electric guitar * Steve Wariner - vocals *

Willie Weeks Willie Weeks (born August 5, 1947) is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also ga ...

- bass guitar

Music video

The music video was directed by Jim Shea and premiered in 1997.

Chart positions

Year-end charts

References

1997 singles Anita Cochran songs Steve Wariner songs Male–female vocal duets Warner Records singles Song recordings produced by Jim Ed Norman 1997 songs Music videos directed by Jim Shea {{1997-country-song-stub