Old Flames Have New Names - Misplaced Pages

"Old Flames Have New Names" is a song written by Bobby Braddock and Rafe Van Hoy, and recorded by American country music singer Mark Chesnutt. It was released in February 1992 and is one of his most well known songs. It was the leading single from Chesnutt's second album Longnecks & Short Stories.

Background

Braddock and Van Hoy wrote the song over the telephone in an attempt to create something along the lines of George Strait's 1987 country single "All My Ex's Live in Texas". They initially titled the song "Old Flames With New Names". Mark Wright, who would produce Chesnutt's record, suggested the change to "Old Flames Have New Names".

Content

The protagonist — an apparent self-described "ladies' man" — moves back to his hometown after a two-year absence, hoping to resume his wild, womanizing ways with women he found desirable. But instead of receiving a grand homecoming and a night of carousing and lovemaking, he finds out some hard truths: that all of his former love interests have moved on with their lives and settled down.

Several of the protagonist's old flames are married, two are expectant mothers and another has taken up vows of sisterhood. Upon finding out these things about his former girlfriends, he bemoans that now they don't want anything to do with him, since "I'm just a bad reminder of their wild and wooly days."

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)	4
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)	77
US Country Songs (Billboard)	33

References

Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
Braddock, Bobby (2015). A Life on Nashville's Music Row. Nashville, Tennessee: Country Music Foundation Press/Vanderbilt University Press. pp. 234–236. ISBN 978-0-8265-2082-1.
"Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2135." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. May 23, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
"Mark Chesnutt Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
"RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992". RPM. December 19, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
"Best of 1992: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.

Allmusic

v t e Mark Chesnutt
Studio albums	Too Cold at Home Longnecks & Short Stories Almost Goodbye What a Way to Live Wings Thank God for Believers I Don't Want to Miss a Thing Lost in the Feeling Mark Chesnutt Savin' the Honky Tonk Heard It in a Love Song Rollin' with the Flow Outlaw Tradition Lives
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits
Notable singles	"Too Cold at Home" "Brother Jukebox" "Blame It on Texas" "Your Love Is a Miracle" "Broken Promise Land" "Old Flames Have New Names" "I'll Think of Something" "Bubba Shot the Jukebox" "Ol' Country" "It Sure Is Monday" "Almost Goodbye" "I Just Wanted You to Know" "Woman, Sensuous Woman" "She Dreams" "Goin' Through the Big D" "Gonna Get a Life" "Down in Tennessee" "Trouble" "It Wouldn't Hurt to Have Wings" "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" "It's a Little Too Late" "Let It Rain" "Thank God for Believers" "It's Not Over" "I Might Even Quit Lovin' You" "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" "This Heartache Never Sleeps" "Fallin' Never Felt So Good" "Lost in the Feeling" "She Was" "Heard It in a Love Song" "Rollin' with the Flow" "Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)"
Guest singles	"A Good Way to Get on My Bad Side"
Related articles	Discography

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