Once a Day

Written by veteran country scribe Bill Anderson, this twangy tune finds Nashville newcomer Connie Smith attempting to mend her broken heart. The good news is, she's only crying once a day over her ex-beau; the bad news is, it's "once a day, all day long, and once a night from dusk 'til dawn." It remained Smith's signature song throughout her lengthy career as a country and gospel singer.

Featured on her self-titled debut album, this was also Smith's first single. When it peaked at #1 on the Country chart, it made her the first female solo artist to ever top the chart with a debut single (a record that went unmatched until 1991 when Trisha Yearwood hit #1 with "She's In Love With the Boy"). The song held the top spot for eight consecutive weeks, the longest run of any country songstress. That feat remained unsurpassed for nearly 50 years until Taylor Swift broke the record with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," which held on for nine weeks in 2012.

Anderson wrote this during a flash of inspiration at the wheel of his car. He told American Songwriter in 2018: "I was driving in my car, where I get a lot of my song ideas. I was in Nashville driving through a residential neighborhood and coming to a four-way stop. I remember grabbing for a pencil and paper and writing the chorus. As best as I recall, I came home and finished it."