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"Words I Couldn't Say" is a song written by Steve Robson, Tammi Kidd, and Gregory Becker and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts for their fourth studio album, Me and My Gang (2006). The song found renewed popularity in 2010 after it was featured in the drama film Country Strong as performed by American actress and singer Leighton Meester. Her cover, from the soundtrack album released by RCA Records Nashville, appeared on multiple Billboard sales charts in 2011.

Composition

"Words I Couldn't Say" is a "downbeat breakup lament" that details the emotions the narrator wishes they had expressed to a lover when they had the chance. According to the digital sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song was originally composed in the key of C major and set in cut time to a "moderate" tempo. The song follows a chord progression of C – G/B – Am – G/B and features a vocal range spanning from G₄ through E₆. Gary LeVox sings lead vocals on the track, while Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney perform backing harmony vocals. David Campbell arranged and conducted the strings performed on the Rascal Flatts track from Me and My Gang, and Dann Huff was the producer of the recording.

Critical reception

Annie Reuter of Sounds Like Nashville was complimentary of the Rascal Flatts original in 2016, including it on her list of Rascal Flatts album tracks that should have been singles. "Rascal Flatts strike a chord on this soaring heartbreaker," she writes. "While LeVox's voice impresses and harmonies assist, so does the musical accompaniment."

In a review of the Country Strong soundtrack, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that "Gossip Girl Leighton Meester pulls off the sweet "Words I Couldn't Say" with ease." Matthew Wilkening of Taste of Country enjoyed Meester's cover, but wrote that "she sounds a bit young to be so wise and wistful about regrets in her romantic life." Jason Newman of MTV criticized Meester's version of the song as a low point on the soundtrack, writing that the cover "falls, um, flatts ."

Chart performance

Meester's version of "Words I Couldn't Say" entered the Billboard Country Digital Songs sales chart at number 35 for the week of January 22, 2011 and rose to its peak position of 24 the following week. Her cover did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but did spend one week each at number 20 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles extension chart and at number 25 on the Heatseeker Songs chart, both for the week of January 29, 2011.

Charts

Leighton Meester version

References

1. Me and My Gang (CD booklet). Rascal Flatts. Lyric Street Records. 2006. 2061-65075-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
2. Idolator Staff (October 27, 2010). "Leighton Meester Sings The "Words I Couldn't Say" For Nashville-Themed Movie". Idolator. Hive Media. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
3. ^ "Rascal Flatts "Words I Couldn't Say" Sheet Music in C Major". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. 14 May 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
4. ^ Reuter, Annie (September 27, 2016). "Rascal Flatts: Songs That Should've Been Singles". Sounds Like Nashville. SpinMedia. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
5. Me and My Gang (CD liner notes). Rascal Flatts. Lyric Street Records. 2006. 165058.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Country Strong [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
7. Wilkening, Matthew (January 6, 2011). "'Country Strong' Soundtrack Songs – Track-by-Track Review". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
8. Newman, Jason (November 16, 2010). "'Country Strong' Soundtrack Showcases Paltrow's Pipes". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
9. "Country Digital Songs: The Week of January 29, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
10. ^ "Leighton Meester – Chart history". Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 for Leighton Meester. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
11. "Heatseeker Songs: The Week of January 29, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
12. "Leighton Meester – Chart history". Billboard Country Digital Songs for Leighton Meester. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
13. "Leighton Meester – Chart history". Billboard Heatseeker Songs for Leighton Meester. Retrieved February 2, 2017.

• 2006 songs
• Rascal Flatts songs
• Leighton Meester songs
• Songs written by Steve Robson
• Song recordings produced by Dann Huff