About The Song
“I Loved ‘Em Every One” is a sleek, radio-ready snapshot of early-1980s country-pop, delivered by T.G. Sheppard at the height of his mainstream momentum. Written by Oklahoma songwriter Phil Sampson, the single arrived in March 1981 as the lead release from Sheppard’s Warner Bros./Curb album I Love ’Em All. At just over three and a half minutes, it matches the era’s tight single format while showcasing Sheppard’s smooth baritone and a production that nods to the Urban Cowboy sound then dominating Nashville and country radio.
The track was produced by Buddy Killen, whose pop instincts helped Sheppard consistently blur the line between honky-tonk confession and crossover polish. On the album, “I Loved ‘Em Every One” sets the tone for a collection that leans into romance, nightlife, and grown-up escapism. The single’s B-side, “I Could Never Dream the Way You Feel,” underscores how carefully the project was curated for radio rotation, pairing a hook-forward A-side with a melodic flip that kept program directors engaged.
Lyrically, the song is a playful boast turned bittersweet inventory. The narrator looks back on a long string of romances—different places, different faces—and admits he “loved ’em every one,” a line that reads as both charming and a little wistful. Rather than dwelling on regret, the voice feels like a man smiling at his own legend, the arrangement giving him room to glide through verses before the chorus lands with easy confidence. It’s adult storytelling dressed for the dance floor, candid without turning confessional.
Commercially, the single was a juggernaut in country formats. It became Sheppard’s seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles, reaching the summit in May 1981 and spending ten weeks on the country chart overall. North of the border, it cracked the top tier of RPM’s country survey. Just as notable was its performance outside country: “I Loved ‘Em Every One” crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it became Sheppard’s lone Top 40 pop entry, peaking at No. 37—evidence of how fully his sound connected in the broader marketplace.
Within the album cycle, the hit had a halo effect. I Love ’Em All arrived later in 1981 and continued the run with follow-up single “Party Time,” giving Sheppard back-to-back country chart-toppers and solidifying the record as one of his signature sets. The sequencing places “I Loved ’Em Every One” as a thematic keystone: a slick, grown-and-sexy anthem that captures the album’s blend of late-night romance and sophisticated production values.
The record also illustrates why Sheppard was such a dominant figure of the period. He came up in a space where country was courting pop audiences, and his best singles thread that needle with precision—steel guitar and twang textures intact, but arranged with bright keys, rounded bass, and a tempo that never drags. “I Loved ’Em Every One” embodies that approach, the kind of track that sounds equally at home on a neon-lit bar jukebox and in a Top 40 mix from 1981.
Decades on, the song remains an essential cut in Sheppard’s catalog and on classic-country playlists. Its crossover moment gave him a rare footprint on pop radio, while its subject matter—romance remembered without apology—keeps it perennially relatable. As a calling card for the I Love ’Em All era, it’s hard to beat: a sharp hook, a confident vocal, and a storyline that turns personal myth into a three-minute anthem.
Video
Lyrics
I’ve known some painted ladies that sparkled in the light
Country girls that loved the lovers moon
Some I never really knew, though I always wanted to
Some I only met once in a room
Some said they liked my smile, others of ’em stayed a while
While others left me on the run
This is the only way, only way I have to say
I loved ’em every one
Big, little or short or tall, wish I could’ve kept them all
I loved ’em every one
Like to thank ’em for their charms, holdin’ me in their arms
And I hope they had some fun
Here’s to the ladies in saloons and living rooms
Summer nights that lasted until dawn
Here’s to the memories, everyone’s a part of me
Oh, I loved ’em every one
Big, little or short or tall, wish I could’ve kept them all
I loved ’em every one
Like to thank ’em for their charms, holdin’ me in their arms
And I hope they had some fun
Big, little or short or tall, wish I could’ve kept them all
I loved ’em every one
Like to thank ’em for their charms, holdin’ me in their arms
And I hope they had some fun