About The Song
“Don’t Take It Away” is a heartfelt country ballad by Conway Twitty, released in March 1979 as the lead single from his album Cross Winds on MCA Records. Written by Troy Seals and Max D. Barnes, it became Twitty’s 21st No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, holding the top spot for one week and charting for nine. The 3:41 track captures a man’s desperate plea for forgiveness after a mistake, with lines like “I’ve been looking for you all night long, darling / You got to talk to me” and “Don’t take it away ‘cause love don’t come easy.” Twitty’s smooth, resonant voice, described by Rolling Stone as “down-home and sensual,” conveys raw vulnerability. He told Billboard in 1979, “It’s a song about messing up but loving so deep you’ll beg on your knees. I felt every word.” The song was first recorded by Jody Miller in 1975, peaking at No. 67 on the country chart, but Twitty’s version defined its legacy.
Recorded in late 1978 at Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville, the track was produced by Twitty and David Barnes. The uncredited band, likely featuring Nashville A-Team players like Charlie McCoy on harmonica and Harold Bradley on guitar, per Discogs, delivers a lush country-pop sound with strings and steady rhythm, characteristic of Twitty’s 1970s hits. AllMusic praises its “polished yet emotional delivery,” noting Twitty’s knack for making ballads feel intimate. The album Cross Winds hit No. 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The song’s G-C-D chord progression and “I’m gonna be your stepping stone” refrain, per Genius, gave it radio appeal. Spotify lists it as a standout from Twitty’s Number Ones compilation, reflecting its enduring popularity.
Conway Twitty, born Harold Lloyd Jenkins on September 1, 1933, in Friars Point, Mississippi, was a country music giant, with 40 No. 1 Billboard country hits, a record until George Strait surpassed it in 2006. Starting as a 1950s rockabilly star with “It’s Only Make Believe,” he transitioned to country in 1965, becoming a Nashville titan with hits like “Hello Darlin’” and duets with Loretta Lynn. Wikipedia notes his 1971–1976 CMA awards for Lynn duets, though he never joined the Grand Ole Opry. “Don’t Take It Away” was a live staple, performed on his 1979 tour, including a televised Grand Ole Opry set, with a 2009 YouTube clip showing his commanding presence. Reddit fans on r/country share a 2021 live post, calling it “Twitty at his smoothest.” Covers are scarce, but the song’s karaoke popularity on Smule highlights its singalong quality.
No major film or TV placements are noted, but the song thrives on streaming platforms, with Shazam users tagging it frequently. Lyrics.com fans praise its “heartfelt groveling,” and no controversies surround it—just Twitty’s signature sensitivity, which Amazon credits for his “adult” country appeal. Twitty, who died June 5, 1993, left a legacy of romantic anthems, and “Don’t Take It Away” remains a fan favorite, capturing the ache of love worth fighting for.
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Lyric
I been lookin’ for you all night long, darlin’
You’ve got to talk to me
I wanna tell you how wrong I’ve been
And I won’t do it againYou know that woman didn’t mean a thing to me
I hope I don’t embarrass you too much
Here in front of all your friends
I’m gonna get down on my kneesPlease let me make it, please I can’t give you up
‘Cause you’ve made love so good for me so longDon’t take it away ‘cause love don’t come easy
Darlin’, I’m sorry I stepped over the line
Don’t take it away, don’t make me go crazy
‘Cause I would follow you to the ends of my mindFrom now on I’m gonna be the kind of man
That you can lean on
And when the waters of life
Get a little too rough or a little too deep
I’m gonna be your steppin’ stoneAnd oh, I remember all those nights
That you used to take right a hold of me
And you’d hold onPlease let me make it, please I can’t give you up
‘Cause you’ve made love so good for me so longDon’t take it away ‘cause love don’t come easy
Darlin’, I’m sorry I stepped over the line
Don’t take it away, don’t make me go crazy
‘Cause I would follow you to the ends of my mind
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