George Strait has no shortage of timeless tracks to his name. You’d be hard-pressed to pick one that stands out above all the rest, but “Check Yes or No” is certainly on the short list. Uncover the meaning behind this surprisingly enduring love story, below.
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Behind the Meaning of “Check Yes or No” by George Strait
It started way back in third grade
I used to sit beside Emmylou Hayes
A pink dress, a matching bow and her pony tail
She kissed me on the school bus, but told me not to tell
We all know the familiar childhood practice of asking someone out through a note passed in class. In lieu of verbal confirmation, the recipient is asked to check one of two boxes: yes or no. It’s a quick workaround for adolescence awkwardness and, as such, has been used by many a blushing pre-teen. Strait revolves his story around that idea.
Strait plays both the narrator and the main character in this track. He tells the listener about a time when he passed such a note to a special someone. While this song was not penned by Strait (it was instead written by Danny Wells and Dana Hunt), he sings it with a degree of honesty that sells the story.
Next day I chased her ’round the playground
Across the monkey bars, to the merry-go-round
And Emmylou got caught passing me a note
Before the teacher took it, I read what she wrote
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The lyrics follow the titular couple as they move on from childhood crushes to married life. Despite their time together kicking off from such a small act, it became surprisingly enduring. Can’t believe it’s been that long ago / When we got started with just a little note, he sings.
Strait believes–and we tend to agree with him–that the story in this song is not only relatable, but has the ability to cheer up even the “grumpiest” of listeners.
“Yeah, ‘Check Yes or No,’ that was a pretty big record,” Strait once said of this song. “And that was one of the songs though that I knew, right away when I first heard it, I wanted to cut it. I couldn’t wait to get home and play it for my son. I knew he’d love it. I don’t remember how old he was at the time, but he was pretty young. And I remember I was riding to take him to school, and he’s not a morning person. He’s pretty grumpy. And I said ‘I’ve got a song here I’m gonna play you.’ I stuck it in there and played it and cheered him right up. Boy, big ol’ smile, I knew we had a good one then.”
Revisit this Strait track, below.
“Do you love me, do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do
Well then don’t be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to
I think this is how love goes, check yes or no”
Last night I took her out in a white limousine
Twenty years together, she still gets to me
Can’t believe it’s been that long ago
When we got started with just a little note
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
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