Tanya Tucker Shares Previously Untold Story Behind ‘Would You Lay With Me’

Joe Richard / YouTube

One Country Star Helps Another

When one country star writes a song and another records it, the result is sure to be a hit.

In the case of Tanya Tucker, it was a number one hit by the title “Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone).” The song was written by fellow country superstar David Allan Coe.

Tucker released the song in December 1973 as the first single off of her album of the same title.

The song climbed up the Billboard country chart for three months. Then, it finally reached the number one spot on March 30, 1974.   

“Would You Lay with Me” was also Tucker’s best-performing crossover hit at that point. It peaked at the 46th spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

The only other song of Tucker’s to perform better on the pop charts was her 1975 single “Lizzie and the Rainman.”

The Real-Life Story Behind The Song

It’s obvious that “Would You Lay with Me” is a love song. But few know the true story behind its creation.

Prior to a performance at the Belterra Casino Resort in March 2015, Tucker revealed that Coe originally wrote the song to serve as his brother’s wedding vows.

The narrator asks her lover if he will continue to stay by her side, no matter what. She asks him a series of questions to test his loyalty. As she sings, “Will you still love me, when I’m down and out? In my time of trial, will you stand by me?”

Many other artists have gone on to record the song, including Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. But Tucker’s rendition is the one we hold closest to our hearts. You can watch her sing it below.