Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)

"Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)"
Single by Shenandoah
from the album In the Vicinity of the Heart
B-side	"Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart"
Released	April 10, 1995
Recorded	1994
Genre	Country
Length	2:29
Label	Liberty
Songwriter(s)	Dean Dillon, Ronnie Dunn
Producer(s)	Don Cook
Shenandoah singles chronology
"Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" (1994) "Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)" (1995) "Heaven Bound (I'm Ready)" (1995)

"Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)" is a song written by Dean Dillon and Ronnie Dunn, and recorded by American country music group Shenandoah. It was released in April 1995 as the second single from their album In the Vicinity of the Heart. It peaked at number 4 in the United States, and number 7 in Canada. It would be their last Top 10 Hit.

"Darned If I Don't" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the Grammy Awards of 1995.^[1]

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song unfavorably, telling the reader to look at the title and make up their own song because it is "bound to be more interesting than what is going on here." She goes on to say that while Shenandoah has released many quality singles, this is not one of them.^[2]

Music video

The music video was directed by Steven Goldmann, and has seven acts in a play stage style, involving the lead singer and his girlfriend. They meet, then they get married, but it turns out that the lead singer was only daydreaming while looking at her. This was also the last video to feature Stan Thorn, who was a member of the band from 1984 to 1995 before he left to pursue a career in jazz.

Chart performance

"Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)" debuted at number 68 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 22, 1995.

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[3]	7
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4]	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[5]	28

References

1. Stambler, Irwin; Grelun Landon (2000). Country Music: The Encyclopedia. Macmillan. pp. 435–436. ISBN 0-312-26487-9.
2. Billboard, April 8, 1995
3. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 7780." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 31, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
4. "Shenandoah Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
5. "Best of 1995: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.