Thinkin' Problem (song)
| "Thinkin' Problem" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by David Ball | ||||
| from the album Thinkin' Problem | ||||
| B-side | "Down at the Bottom of a Broken Heart"[1] | |||
| Released | March 28, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | January 1994 | |||
| Genre | Honky-tonk | |||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | David Ball Allen Shamblin Stuart Ziff | |||
| Producer(s) | Blake Chancey | |||
| David Ball singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Thinkin' Problem" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer David Ball. Ball co-wrote the song with Allen Shamblin and Stuart Ziff. It was released in March 1994 as the lead-off single and title track from his album Thinkin' Problem. The song reached number 2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, and number 1 on Canada's RPM country chart. It also earned Ball a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards in 1995, as well as a nomination for the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year.
Content
[edit]"Thinkin' Problem" is a moderate up-tempo with electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, and fiddle flourishes. In it, the male narrator states that he has a "thinkin' problem" (meant as a play on the term "drinking problem") because he is constantly thinking about his former significant other despite numerous attempts to quit. The song begins with the famous phrase "Yes I admit, I've got a thinkin' problem", with the final syllable of the word "admit" drawn out.
Music video
[edit]The music video was directed by O Pictures and premiered in early 1994.
Critical reception
[edit]Rick Cohoon of Allmusic gave the song a mixed review, saying that it "is the fuel that ignited Ball's launch into stardom" but that "he tends to over-nasalize to the point of annoyance."[2] Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably calling it a "perfect combination of retro sensibility and '90s production, and a pure honky-tonk delight."[3]
Parody
[edit]Cledus T. Judd, a country music parodist, parodied the song as "Stinkin' Problem" on his 1995 debut album Cledus T. Judd (No Relation).
Chart positions
[edit]"Thinkin' Problem" debuted at number 72 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 16, 1994.
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 40 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 2 |
Year-end charts
[edit]| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7] | 18 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 71 |
References
[edit]- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ Cohoon, Rick. "David Ball - "Thinkin' Problem"". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ^ Billboard, April 2, 1994
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2541." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 25, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ^ "David Ball Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "David Ball Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994". RPM. December 12, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ^ "Best of 1994: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
