About The Song
“Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me” is a country song performed by Ray Price, released in July 1965 as a single on Columbia Records, later included on his album Ray Price’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. Written by Hank Cochran, the 2:48 track conveys the pain of unreciprocated love with lyrics like: “You make my eyes run over all the time / You’re happy when I’m out of my mind / You don’t love me but you won’t let me be / Don’t you ever get tired of hurting me.” The song reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in September 1965, charting for 18 weeks, and became one of Price’s signature hits during his honky-tonk era. It was also released as a double A-side with “Unloved, Unwanted” and featured in the 1980 duet album San Antonio Rose with Willie Nelson.
The song was recorded in mid-1965 at Columbia Recording Studio in Nashville, produced by Don Law. Session musicians included Pete Wade on guitar, Jimmy Day on steel guitar, Bob Moore on bass, and Buddy Harman on drums, with a traditional country arrangement. The setup featured a 4/4 shuffle rhythm, pedal steel, and fiddle, reflecting Price’s Texas shuffle style. The chord progression is D-G-A, with the refrain “Don’t you ever get tired of hurting me,” per ultimate-guitar.com. A live version was recorded during a 1966 performance at the Grand Ole Opry, uploaded to YouTube in 2017. Price and Willie Nelson performed it on Austin City Limits in 1980 to promote their duet album.
Ray Price, born Noble Ray Price on January 12, 1926, in Perryville, Texas, was a country music singer known for his baritone voice and honky-tonk sound. He gained fame with “Crazy Arms” (1956) and continued with hits like “Night Life” (1963) and “For the Good Times” (1970), charting over 100 singles on the Billboard country charts. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996, he passed away on December 16, 2013. The song was originally recorded by George Jones in 1965, with Price’s version following. Other covers include Connie Cato (1971) and Nat Stuckey (1966), per SecondHandSongs. Price said in a 1965 interview: “Hank’s words cut deep—every singer can relate to that hurt.”
The song is on Spotify, included in the 1965 single, the 1980 duet album with Willie Nelson, and compilations like The Essential Ray Price (2007). This was featured in a 2019 tribute concert for Price at the Ryman Auditorium.
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Lyric
You make my eyes run over all the time
You’re happy when I’m out of my mind
You don’t love me but you won’t let me be
Don’t you ever get tired of hurting meYou must think I look bad with a smile
For you haven’t let me wear one in such a long, long while
Still I keep running back, why must this be
Don’t you ever get tired of hurting meSomeone must have hurt you long, long ago
But why take revenge on one who loves you so
You won’t love me and you won’t set me free
Don’t you ever get tired of hurting meYou must think I look bad with a smile
For you haven’t let me wear one in such a long, long while
Still I keep running back, how can this be
Don’t you ever get tired of hurting me