Mark Chesnutt - Gonna Get A Life

“Gonna Get a Life”, song written by Jim Lauderdale and Frank Dycus, was recorded by Mark Chesnutt for the Decca label, it was recorded between March and April 1994, at Javelina Recording, Nashville, TN. In this session six songs were recorded from the album, Mark was accompanied by: Waylon Jennings (vocal), Pat Flynn (acoustic guitar), B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar), Tim Mensy (acoustic guitar), Biff Watson (acoustic guitar), Brent Rowan (electric guitar), Glenn Duncan (mandolin and fiddle), Paul Franklin and Russ Pahl (steel), Roy Huskey, Jr. (acoustic bass), Bob Wray (bass), Owen Hale and Paul Leim (drums), Rob Hajacos (fiddle), Carl Gorodetzky (violin), The Nashville String Machine (strings), Tim Broussard (accordion), Matt Rollings (piano), Steve Nathan (keyboards), Curtis “Mr. Harmony” Young, John Wesley Ryles, Bergen White, Jana King, Lisa Silver, Dennis Wilson, Cindy Walker, Tom Flora, Chris Harris, Matt Kaminski, Ann Wright and Kim Rogers (background vocals). With the production of Mark Wright, the song was released on February 21, 1995, and May 20, 1995, reached # 1 on the US Hot Country Songs charts, remaining a total of 20 weeks on the charts . On the Canada Country Tracks charts, it peaked at # 2. It was the sixth number one in Mark's career.

The song was included on Mark's fifth studio album, What A Way To Live (Decca 1994), the album was released on September 13, 1994, and on October 1, 1994, peaked at # 15, and remained On the charts a total of 48 weeks. His first album for Decca Records, it earned RIAA gold certification in the United States for sales of 500,000 copies.

About song:

Jim Lauderdale told Taste of Country that he was working at co-writer Frank Dycus' house that day and while taking a break he played a melody that he came up with. Dycus came up with the title and then we wrote the rest of the lyrics, and We wrote it really quickly. This was the first # 1 Country hit written by Jim Lauderdale, a very successful songwriter whose credits include “We Touched The Sun” by Gary Allan and “Twang” for George Strait.