The Gene Watson Fourteen Carat Mind song was released in September 1981 as the first single from the album “Old Loves Never Die”. The song was Watson’s twentieth country hit and his only song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart starting January 9, 1982. The single stayed at No. 1 for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on that chart.
This live performance was recorded live at Church Street Station in Orlando, Florida. Watch the live performance, the audio video, and see the written lyrics below.
Gene Watson Fourteen Carat Mind Live Performance
Gene Watson Fourteen Carat Mind Audio Video
“Fourteen Carat Mind” was penned by songwriters Dallas Frazier and Larry Lee, both of whom had a knack for crafting heartfelt country narratives. The song’s lyrics tell the tale of a man who has fallen for a woman with extravagant tastes and materialistic desires. As he reflects on their failed relationship, he compares her longing for riches to his own heartbreak, singing about his “fourteen carat mind” in a clever play on words that blends emotional depth with gold-standard imagery.
Gene Watson Fourteen Carat Mind Lyrics
I still recall the morning that I met you
Standing out in front of Wilson’s five and dime
Staring through the window at the jewelry
Hungry for the things you couldn’t buy
Just like a fool I thought that I could please you
I saw you had an eye for things that shine
I paid seven saw mill dollars for a bracelet
Just to satisfy your fourteen carat mind
Layin’ by these railroad tracks in Denver
With a hurtin’ head and a half a pint of wine
Everything except my soul has been surrendered
Just to satisfy your fourteen carat mind
The cabin that I built in West Virginia
Was not enough to keep you satisfied
‘Cause a man that’s got a saw mill occupation
Can’t afford to feed a rich girls’ appetite
I wonder if you’re still with Willie Jackson
Sometimes I wonder if he’s still alive
Ol’ Willie he gave up his wife and children
Just to satisfy your fourteen carat mind
Layin’ by these railroad tracks in Denver
With a hurtin’ head and a half a pint of wine
Everything except my soul has been surrendered
Just to satisfy your fourteen carat mind
Just to satisfy your fourteen carat mind
When “Fourteen Carat Mind” climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in early 1982, it marked a significant milestone for Watson. While he had already enjoyed a string of hits like “Love in the Hot Afternoon” and “Farewell Party,” this No. 1 hit cemented his place among the greats of country music.
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