Sad songs are as much a part of country music as Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. Tracks about romances gone wrong, cheating lovers and spouses, unrequited passion; you name it, there is a country tune about it. For Zach Top, one of his weepiest songs is 'South Of Sanity." He co-wrote it. In the song, the narrator is pulled away from his woman because of his demanding singing career. A good guess is that kind of unfortunate situation may have also contributed to the demise of Top's own marriage, per Whiskey Riff.
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He recently talked about it with Kelleigh Bannen on Today's Country.
Zach Top Reminisced About the Heartache of Having His Marriage Falter
When Top was a Nashville newcomer, he was playing a gig with the Red Clay Strays. As he related it to Bannen, it was a very tough night for him emotionally.
"Played a couple shows with the Red Clay Strays, we had already done our show and they were going on after us, and I was supposed to go up and do a song with them. And I got a call with some bad news, and I was like, sitting over on the side of the stage or standing in the wings, like one song left and then I was going out. And I'm like, trying not to bawl my eyes out, and it's like, put your phone back in your pocket, take a drag on your cigarette, and let's go sing."
He added, "I had a marriage that didn't work out when I first moved here, I was married. And yeah, messed that up, and so that's that's part of that song too."
Life on the Road Can Be Grueling
Touring must be hard on the people in the music industry who do it often. It means precious time away from home and loved ones. Relationships can suffer greatly as a result. "South Of Sanity," which is on Zach Top's album Ain't In It For My Health, makes that piercingly clear. Sometimes success in anything can come at a steep price. It may involve dealing with excruciating choices. I guess there is a downside to even the best things in life.
