In 1982, George Strait reached the top of the country music charts with “Fool Hearted Memory.” The lead single from his sophomore album Strait From the Heart, it certainly wouldn’t be the Texan’s last No. 1 song. In fact, it sparked a string of hits that ended in 1992 when “Lovesick Blues” peaked at No. 24. Amid that impressive run was “You Know Me Better Than That,” which topped the charts on Aug. 17, 1991.

Nashville Executives Initially Refused to Pitch This Song to George Strait

Written by Anna Lisa Graham, “You Know Me Better Than That” tells the story of a man confiding in a former flame. Although he has since found a new partner, he is terrified that she is “in love with an image time is bound to see through.”

Oh, you know me better than that / You know the me that gets lazy and fat, George Strait sings in the chorus. This was the lyric that drew Strait to the song. Ironically, it was also the reason “You Know Me Better Than That” almost never saw the light of day.

“I had run it by two or three writers that were all reputable writers and solid writers, but nobody, nobody wanted to write it with me,” Graham recalled in a 2017 conversation with Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association International.

All of them took issue with the word “fat,” resolving to record the song only if Graham cut that line. Fortunately, the tune eventually found its way to co-writer Tony Haselden. “I think we had it finished in that first writing session,” she recalled.

Strait Told Graham That Was His Favorite Line

As “You Know Me Better Than That” began to take shape, Graham began hearing George Strait’s voice in her head. Soon, the “King of Country” had recorded it for his 11th studio album, Chill of an Early Fall.

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“I knew that George had a great sense of humor and he loved surprise lines and cleverness. … When I met him at a certain point, I said, you know, “There were people that didn’t want to pitch that to you because they said, ‘Oh, George will never say that,’” she explained. “George said, “I never know what I’m going to say half the time,” much less that was his favorite line.”

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