The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy)

"The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy)" is the title of a song by American country music artist Wade Hayes. It was co-written by Mark D. Sanders and Steve Diamond. It was the lead-off single released from Hayes' third album When the Wrong One Loves You Right in late 1997. It reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and #9 on the Canadian RPM country singles chart. It also peaked at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was his last top ten single to date.

Content

While riding the Ferris Wheel at a carnival, the narrator's girlfriend reveals that she's pregnant. He takes it for granted at first but realizes that the baby isn't his when she becomes distraught and leaves town without notice. He says that if he had the chance he would have loved her anyway.

Music video

The music video, like most of Wade Hayes' videos, was directed by Steven Goldmann. It begins, just like in the song, with a couple on a Ferris wheel and the woman telling him she's pregnant. She then becomes distraught (knowing the baby isn't his) and drives away. Wade drives around and finds her walking on a bridge. After trying to reconcile with her she gets back in her truck and drives away from him.

Critical reception

In reviewing the album, When the Wrong One Loves You Right, Thom Owens of Allmusic cited this track as "illustrating Hayes' true potential" and as one of the strongest cuts on the album "where the melody, lyric and delivery blend perfectly".^[1]

Chart performance

"The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy)" debuted at number sixty-two on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of November 1, 1997.

References