Nostalgic Country Songs About Missing Your Ex

It might surprise some people to learn that not all breakups are messy. Sometimes you grow apart, want different things in life, or can’t make long-distance work, and that’s okay. You were both mature about it, and there’s no love or respect lost. They’re the kind of ex you miss when you hear certain country songs about lost love, unlike the other exes you sing-rage breakup anthems about.  

There’s no shortage of country songs about missing an ex, because they resonate with so many listeners. After all, what else are you supposed to play at 2:00 AM when you’re suddenly overwhelmed with bittersweet memories but still have enough sense not to call them? So, the next time you feel the urge to disturb your happily married ex to say you miss them or cry about what could have been, try listening to these songs instead.  

Country music has always been effective at expressing heartbreak and loss. Most artists in this genre have ballads about losing the one you love in their catalog. Here are the songs that can provide emotional catharsis when you need a good cry.  

“Austin” was Blake Shelton’s first single and first number-one hit. The song tells the story of a woman who left her lover without even giving him a way to contact her or where she was going. She called him after a year and only got his answering machine. In his message before the tone, he said, “P.S. If this is Austin/I still love you.” She knew he was referring to her because before they broke up, she kept telling him about Austin.  

The chorus differs as the song progresses, especially the last one, telling the listeners that love might be lovelier the second time around. “If you're calling 'bout my heart, it's still yours/I should've listened to it a little more/Then it wouldn't have taken me so long/To know where I belong/And by the way, boy/This is no machine you're talking to/Can't you tell, this is Austin/And I still love you/I still love you.”  

Released in 2004, Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think of Me” is a bit sadder and a whole lot bitter compared to “Austin.” The song is about a rough breakup, especially since the singer’s lover has already found another love. The singer was kept awake by their memories together, but is sure that someday she will be the one thinking of him. He’ll be over her and continue with his life.  

We’ve all been there. We’ve tried to drown our sorrows with a glass (or two) of whiskey, only to end up drunk-dialing our ex and begging them to come back. (Side note: this is not a sign that you should drunk-call your ex or rely on alcohol to help you move on.) Since country music never shies away from even the hardest parts of the depression-and-denial stage of a breakup, Morgan Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses” perfectly captures how the pain of losing the one you love can sometimes drive you to the bottle just to cope.  

The group’s title track and first single from their second studio album of the same name, “Need You Now” scored Lady A four Grammy awards at the 2011 ceremony: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Best Country Song.  

The song’s pre-chorus and chorus are a shot to the heart for anyone who’s experienced heartbreak and wondered if their ex ever thinks about them: “And I wonder if I ever cross your mind/For me, it happens all the time/It's a quarter after 1, I'm all alone and I need you now/Said I wouldn't call, but I've lost all control and I need you now/And I don't know how I can do without/I just need you now.”  

It also talks about wanting to call an ex after getting drunk on whiskey. Pro tip: Maybe skip the whiskey next time you’re missing your ex?  

Garth Brooks’ “More Than a Memory” tells the story of a man struggling to move on from a past relationship, doing everything he can to avoid falling asleep because he knows he’ll dream of her. The song perfectly captures the vulnerability of missing someone, and the sadness and shame that come with giving in to temptation, whether it’s dialing their number just to hang up or driving across town just to see if they’re home.  

Heartbreak, nostalgia, and bad decisions are universal, and thankfully, we have country music to lean on when we are missing our exes. These songs validate our emotions, and by the end of each one, they offer a sense of acceptance: the relationship is over, but you will be okay soon.