A Lesson in Leaving

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“A Lesson in Leavin'”
Single by Dottie West
from the album Special Delivery
Released February 1980
Format Album
Genre Country-Pop
Length 3:01
Label Liberty
Dottie West singles chronology
"You Pick Me Up and Put Me Down"
1979		 "A Lesson In Leavin'"
1980		 "Leavin's For Unbelievers"
1980
“Lesson in Leavin'”
Single by Jo Dee Messina
from the album I'm Alright
Released 1999
Format Album
Genre Contemporary Country
Length 3:38
Label Curb
Jo Dee Messina singles chronology
"Stand Beside Me" (1998) "Lesson In Leavin'" (1999) "Because You Love Me" (1999)

"A Lesson in Leavin'" or "Lesson in Leavin'" is the name of a popular Country music song. The original version of the song reached No. 1 on the Country charts in 1980 by Dottie West. The second version was recorded by Jo Dee Messina in 1999, and spent 7 weeks at No. 2 on the Country charts.

Contents

[edit] Dottie West version

At 48 years old, West had her first No. 1 hit as a solo artist with "A Lesson in Leavin'." The song was the biggest hit of West's solo career when it also climbed to No. 73 on the Pop charts, establishing her as a crossover Country artist, at a time in Country music when being a Country crossover artist was the most popular choice. It was one of two No. 1 hits for West as a solo act, the other was "Are You Happy Baby" in 1981.

"A Lesson in Leavin'" was part of a historic time in Country music history, a week before it reached No. 1. That week all positions in the Top 5 were held by women, including Dottie West and her hit.

  1. Crystal Gayle ("It's Like We Never Said Goodbye")
  2. Dottie West ("A Lesson In Leavin'")
  3. Debby Boone ("Are You On The Road To Lovin' Me Again")
  4. Emmylou Harris ("Beneath Still Waters")
  5. Tammy Wynette ("Two Story House" with George Jones)

The album Special Delivery did very well for West as well. The song also sounded different than other material that was recorded before from West. In the late 1970s and into the mid 1980s, country music had its own style called countrypolitan (Country-Pop), or songs that sounded more pop-oriented.

[edit] Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 73
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart 42

[edit] Jo Dee Messina version

Jo Dee Messina recorded her version of the song — titled simply "Lesson In Leavin'" — in 1997 for her album, I'm Alright. Messina gave the song a decided "kiss-off" feel (unlike West's light-hearted Pop-friendly style), which caught on with Messina's fans.

Released in the spring of 1999 (May 1), "Lesson in Leavin'" quickly climbed the charts and was destined to become Messina's fourth No. 1 song. However, thanks to the concurrent success of Lonestar's power ballad, "Amazed," Messina's song stalled at No. 2 for seven weeks during the summer of 1999 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart ("Amazed" spent eight weeks at No. 1). Despite the song's inability to reach No. 1, "Lesson in Leavin'" became the year's No. 3 song on Billboard's year-end Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart; also, despite the fact that three other songs from I'm Alright went No. 1, "Lesson In Leavin'" arguably was the album's most successful track. "Lesson in Leavin" was also one of Messina's highest-charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #28 there.

In interviews, Messina has said she covered the song in memory of Dottie West, one of her biggest influences. Messina sadly said that most of her teenage fans didn't even know who Dottie West was. Messina greatly admired West and quoted, "She was the first woman to cross over. She was the first woman to do so much. She's a part of Country music's history. She had spunk. She had fire. She loved the fans, and she loved people. She was a very strong woman."

[edit] Charts

Chart (1999) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs 2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 28

[edit] Meaning of the Song

The song is about a woman angry about her boyfriend leaving her, saying he's gonna get back what he's been giving to her. The lyrics for the main part of the song follow as this:

Somebody's gonna give you a lesson in leavin',
Somebody's gonna give you back what you been givin', and I hope that I'm around
To watch 'em knock ya down
It's like you to love 'em and leave 'em, just like you loved me and left me,
It's like you to that sorta thing
Over and over again, you're a fool-hearted man

[edit] Differences Between the Versions

  • The spelling is different in West's version ("A Lesson in Leaving") than Messina's version ("Lesson in Leavin'")
  • In one part of the song one word is different in both versions;
    • In West's version she says, And I'm thinkin' that BABY someday
    • In Messina's version she says, And I'm thinkin' that MAYBE someday

[edit] Succession Box for West's No. 1 Version

Preceded by
"It's Like We Never Said Goodbye"
by Crystal Gayle		 Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single
April 26, 1980
by Dottie West		 Succeeded by
"Are You On the Road To Loving Me Again"
by Debby Boone