A Satisfied Mind

"A Satisfied Mind" is a song written by Joe "Red" Hayes and Jack Rhodes. Hayes explained the origin of the song in an interview: "The song came from my mother. Everything in the song are things I heard her say over the years. I put a lot of thought into the song before I came up with the title. One day my father-in-law asked me who I thought the richest man in the world was, and I mentioned some names. He said, 'You're wrong, it is the man with a satisfied mind.'"^[1] The song has been covered by a variety of well-known artists.^[2]

Notable covers

• Porter Wagoner charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list in 1955.^[3]

• Red and Betty Foley charted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list in 1955.

• Jean Shepard charted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list in 1955.^[4]

• Ella Fitzgerald on 1955 album The First Lady Of Song (Decca)

• Cowboy Copas on his 1962 album Opry Star Spotlight (Starday)

• Ian and Sylvia on their 1966 album Play One More (Vanguard)

• David Allan Coe on his 1977 album Texas Moon

• Kelly Keeling on his CD Knollwood Drive

• The Byrds on their 1965 album Turn! Turn! Turn!.^[5]

• The International Submarine Band on their 1968 album Safe at Home.^[6]

• Bob Dylan on his 1980 album Saved

• John Martyn on his 1975 album Sunday's Child

• Tim Hardin on his 1971 album Bird on a Wire

• Johnny Cash at first being exclusive on Kill Bill Vol 2 soundtrack until his posthumously released album American VI: Ain't No Grave

• Goose Creek Symphony on their album est. 1970

• Jeff Buckley on his 1998 album Sketches (for My Sweetheart the Drunk)

• Glen Campbell on A Satisfied Mind album

• Blind Boys Of Alabama on the album There Will Be a Light along with Ben Harper

• Bryan Bowers on his 1977 album The View From Home

• Joan Baez on her 1965 album Farewell, Angelina; later appeared on her 1979 compilation Satisfied Mind.^[7]

• Daniel O'Donnell on his 2009 album, Peace in the Valley

• Rosanne Cash, featuring Neko Case, a bonus track on the iTunes version of her 2009 album, The List

• Justin Vernon from Bon Iver on his collaboration with the Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I ensemble on the 2009 live benefit album A Decade With Duke

• Lindsey Buckingham on his 1981 album Law and Order

• Jonathan Richman on his 1990 album Jonathan Goes Country

• Lucinda Williams on her 1978 album Ramblin'

• Willie Nelson on his 2010 album Country Music

• The Walkabouts on their 1993 album Satisfied Mind

• Eric Bibb on his 1999 album Spirit & The Blues

• Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives on their 2003 album Country Music

• Donna Loren on her 2010 album Love It Away

References