George Jones – The Race Is On

“The Race Is On” is a song written by Don Rollins and made a hit on the country music charts by George Jones and on the pop and easy listening charts by the unrelated Jack Jones. George’s version was the first single released from his 1965 album of the same name. Released as a single in September 1964, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1965. Jack’s version topped Billboard’s Easy Listening chart and reached number 15 on the Hot 100 the same year. The two recordings combined to reach number 12 on the Cashbox charts, which combined all covers of the same song in one listing and thus gave George Jones his only top-40 hit. The song uses thoroughbred horse racing as the metaphor for the singer’s romantic relationships

B-side “She’s Lonesome Again”
Released September 26, 1964
Genre Country
Length 2:05
Label United Artists
Songwriter(s) Don Rollins

George Jones – The Race Is On lyrics

I feel tears wellin’ up cold and deep inside
Like my heart’s sprung a big break
And the stab of loneliness, sharp and painful
That I may never shake
Now you might say that I was taking it hard
Since you wrote me off with a call
But don’t you wager that I’ll hide the sorrow
When I may break right down and bawl

Now the race is on and here comes pride up the backstretch
Heartaches are going to the inside
My tears are holding back
They’re trying not to fall
My heart’s out of the running
True love’s scratched for another’s sake
The race is on and it looks like heartaches
And the winner loses all

One day I had ventured in love, never once suspecting
What the final results would be
How I lived in fear of waking up each morning
And finding that you’d gone from me
There’s aching and pain in my heart
For the day was the one that I hated to face
Somebody new came up to win her
And I came out in second place

Now the race is on and here comes pride up the backstretch
Heartaches are going to the inside
My tears are holding back
They’re trying not to fall
My heart’s out of the running
True love’s scratched for another’s sake
The race is on and it looks like heartaches
And the winner loses all