A Better Man

"A Better Man" is a song co-written and performed by American country music artist Clint Black. It was released in February 1989 as the first single from his debut album, Killin' Time. It was written by Black and Hayden Nicholas. When "A Better Man" went to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart on June 10, Black was the first artist since Freddy Fender to ascend to the top of the country chart with his first charted single.^[1] In addition, "A Better Man" was the No. 1 song of 1989 on the Hot Country Singles chart.^[2] The success of "A Better Man," along with the follow-up "Killin' Time," were instrumental in Black winning the Country Music Association's Horizon Award in 1989.^[3]

Content

The song is a reflection on a relationship co-writer Black had recently ended with a girlfriend of seven years. He shared his dying romance story with friend Hayden Nicholas, who - after sharing an idea for the melody - came up with the hook line ("I'm leaving here a better man/For knowing you this way.").^[4]

Music video

This was Clint Black's first music video; it was directed by Bill Young and premiered in early 1989. Much of the video is of Black driving down a little-used country road in a late-1950s Ford F-100 pickup truck, reflecting on his now-failed relationship. Interspersed are clips of Black performing the song before people dancing to the song.

Chart positions

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[5]	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[6]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[7]	4
US Country Songs (Billboard)^[8]	1

Sources

References

↑ Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits." (Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-8230-7553-2)), p. 553-554
↑ Billboard magazine Hot Country Songs - 1989
↑ Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music" (HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)), p. 161
↑ Roland.
↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6384." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 19, 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
↑ "Clint Black – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Clint Black.
↑ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1989". RPM. December 23, 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
↑ "Best of 1989: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "Where Did I Go Wrong" by Steve Wariner	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single June 10, 1989	Succeeded by "Love Out Loud" by Earl Thomas Conley
Preceded by "Where Did I Go Wrong" by Steve Wariner	RPM Country Tracks number-one single June 19, 1989	Succeeded by "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" by Rosanne Cash
Preceded by "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Keith Whitley	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single of the year 1989	Succeeded by "Nobody's Home" by Clint Black

Clint Black singles

Killin' Time	"A Better Man" "Killin' Time" "Nobody's Home" "Walkin' Away" "Nothing's News"

Put Yourself in My Shoes	"Put Yourself in My Shoes" "Loving Blind" "One More Payment" "Where Are You Now"

The Hard Way	"We Tell Ourselves" "Burn One Down" "When My Ship Comes In"

No Time to Kill	"A Bad Goodbye" (with Wynonna Judd) "No Time to Kill" "State of Mind" "A Good Run of Bad Luck" "Half the Man"

One Emotion	"Untanglin' My Mind" "Wherever You Go" "Summer's Comin'" "One Emotion" "Life Gets Away"

Greatest Hits	"Like the Rain" "Half Way Up"

Nothin' but the Taillights	"Still Holding On" (with Martina McBride) "Something That We Do" "Nothin' but the Taillights" "The Shoes You're Wearing" "Loosen Up My Strings" "You Don't Need Me Now"

D'lectrified	"When I Said I Do" (with Lisa Hartman Black) "Been There" (with Steve Wariner) "Love She Can't Live Without"

Greatest Hits II	"Easy for Me to Say" (with Lisa Hartman Black) "Money or Love"

Spend My Time	"Spend My Time" "The Boogie Man" "My Imagination"

Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic	"Rainbow in the Rain" "Code of the West" "Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic" "Heartaches"

On Purpose	"Time for That"

Other songs	"Desperado" "I Raq and Roll" "Hey Good Lookin'" (with Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait) "The Strong One" "Long Cool Woman"

Billboard Year-End Hot Country Songs number one single of the year

1980–1989	1980: "My Heart" – Ronnie Milsap 1981: "Fire and Smoke" – Earl Thomas Conley 1982: "Always on My Mind" – Willie Nelson 1983: "José Cuervo" – Shelly West 1984: "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" – Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson 1985: "Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)" – Ronnie Milsap 1986: "Never Be You" – Rosanne Cash 1987: "Give Me Wings" – Michael Johnson 1988: "Don't Close Your Eyes" – Keith Whitley 1989: "A Better Man" – Clint Black

1990–1999	1990: "Nobody's Home" – Clint Black 1991: "Don't Rock the Jukebox" – Alan Jackson 1992: "I Saw the Light" – Wynonna 1993: "Chattahoochee" – Alan Jackson 1994: "I Swear" – John Michael Montgomery 1995: "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" – John Michael Montgomery 1996: "My Maria" – Brooks & Dunn 1997: "It's Your Love" – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill 1998: "Just to See You Smile" – Tim McGraw 1999: "Amazed" – Lonestar

2000–2009	2000: "How Do You Like Me Now?!" – Toby Keith 2001: "Ain't Nothing 'bout You" – Brooks & Dunn 2002: "The Good Stuff" – Kenny Chesney 2003: "My Front Porch Looking In" – Lonestar 2004: "Live Like You Were Dying" – Tim McGraw 2005: "That's What I Love About Sunday" – Craig Morgan 2006: "If You're Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows)" – Rodney Atkins 2007: "Watching You" – Rodney Atkins 2008: "Just Got Started Lovin' You" – James Otto 2009: "I Run to You" – Lady Antebellum

2010–2019	2010: "Love Like Crazy" – Lee Brice 2011: "Crazy Girl" – Eli Young Band 2012: "Time Is Love" – Josh Turner 2013: "Cruise" – Florida Georgia Line 2014: "This Is How We Roll" – Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan 2015: "Take Your Time" – Sam Hunt

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