Discover

'"Goodbye Earl"' is a country song written by Dennis Linde and recorded by the Dixie Chicks on their fifth studio album, ''Fly'' (1999). It was released as the third single of the album.

Contents

Song information

Music video

Cast

Awards

Other versions and parodies

References

Song information

The song tells the dramatic-comic story of two ladies, Mary Ann and Wanda, who were best friends. After graduation Mary Ann went out into the world, while Wanda married Earl and suffers from domestic violence. While the divorce is in process, "Earl walked right through that restraining order and put her in intensive care". Mary Ann came back and after some talking, the women decided "that Earl had to die", and they kill him, by poisoning his black-eyed peas.
"Goodbye Earl" reached a peak position of #13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart, a spot somewhat short of the Chicks' usual placings at the time. It perhaps lost some radio airplay because of its take on domestic violence. However, it also made the Top 20 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and would become the trio's highest charting song among pop listings until "Long Time Gone" in the summer of 2002. Regardless of rankings, the song has become one of the Chicks' most well-known tunes. It is an enthusiastically-received staple of all their concert tours.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Evan Bernard, who also played the role of Ezekiel Kincaid, Wanda's divorce lawyer. It starts off with some pictures of Wanda and Mary Ann in high school. It then shows Wanda hugging Mary Ann goodbye and eventually meeting Earl for the very first time. The next scene shows Wanda wearing a wedding dress in Earl's car after getting married to him. A few days later, Wanda starts to get abused by Earl. She is shown wearing dark glasses and long sleeve blouses that covered up the bruises. Wanda is then shown meeting with a divorce lawyer. The next scene shows Earl abusing Wanda for the last time. Wanda gets so badly injured that she is sent to the Intensive Care Unit. After receiving the news, Mary Ann returns and together they decide to kill Earl. They poison his black-eyed peas and Earl dies. A few days later, some police officers comes to Wanda's house to know if she has anything to do with Earl's disappearance. The weeks pass and the women decide to buy land and sell strawberry jam. They are shown getting rid of Earl's body while the whole town (including a decomposed Earl among them) celebrates his death dancing.
Earl's car in the video is a 1972 Dodge Charger.

Cast

★ Dennis Franz as "Earl"

★ Jane Krakowski as "Wanda"

★ Lauren Holly as "Mary Ann"

★ Adrian Pasdar as Police Officer

★ Michael DeLuise as Police Officer

★ Evan Bernard as "Ezekiel Kincaid"

Awards

The music video won both the Academy of Country Music's and the Country Music Association Video of the Year Awards in 2000.

Other versions and parodies

★ The song was originally recorded by the country music band Sons of the Desert but not put onto an album, because of a dispute with the band's label.^[1]

★ "Goodbye Earl" was covered by punk rock cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

★ Country music parodist Cledus T. Judd recorded a parody, "Goodbye Squirrel", about a battle of wits between two hunters and a squirrel.

★ DJ Particle released a comic alternative vision "Goodbye Bill" on her 2006 ''Shiny Round Thing Inside'', mashing "Goodbye Earl" with ''Kill Bill''.

References

1. Sons of the Desert don't mind getting a little 'SOD'dy