The Top 20 Country Love Songs of All Time - Number 15

by Jim Poulton

John Michael Montgomery: I Swear

A great addition to your iPod lineup, I Swear is hard to put down once you’ve heard it. Montgomery’s voice has the range to make the demanding melody his own, and his band works well in counterpoint with the lyrics. A well-produced, well-conceived track with nice balance between multiple guitars, steel guitar, piano, and a nicely subtle drum track. Note how the instruments are in conversation with each other – just after the first chorus, for example, the piano first plays a brief resolving phrase, which is immediately echoed by the steel guitar, and then again by the acoustic guitar – giving the song satisfying texture and depth. Definitely deserving to be in the top 20.

John Michael Montgomery. Photo courtesy of countrymusictattletale.com.

Here's a video version of Montgomery's I Swear with a nice international flavor.

Visit Montgomery's website here. Buy I Swear at Amazon mp3 or iTunes.