| "Forever and Ever, Amen" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Single cover | ||||
| Single byRandy Travis | ||||
| from the albumAlways & Forever | ||||
| B-side | "Promises" | |||
| Released | March 1987 | |||
| Recorded | January 1987 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:31 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. Nashville 28384 | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Kyle Lehning | |||
| Randy Travis singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official video | ||||
| "Forever and Ever, Amen" onYouTube | ||||
"Forever and Ever, Amen" is a song written byPaul Overstreet andDon Schlitz, and recorded by Americancountry music artistRandy Travis. It was released in March 1987 as the first single from the albumAlways & Forever and became Travis's third No. 1 single on the U.S.BillboardHot Country Singles charts.[1]
Since 2017, Travis, whose singing has been severely limited since a 2013 stroke, has on several occasions contributed the final "Amen" to live performances by other artists when he is in attendance.[2][3]
In August 2020,Josh Turner recorded a cover version of "Forever and Ever, Amen" featuring Travis on his albumCountry State of Mind. This was Travis' first recording since his stroke.
In February 2021,Ronan Keating andShania Twain released a version as the fifth and final single from Keating's eleventh studio album,Twenty Twenty.[4][5]
"Forever and Ever, Amen" was penned by songwritersPaul Overstreet andDon Schlitz, both Nashville luminaries with a long pedigree of domestic country hits, including songs byAlabama,Keith Whitley,Kenny Rogers, andthe Judds in the 1980s. The idea for the song's title stemmed from Schlitz's son, who, after saying his nightly prayers, would often remark to his mother, "Mommy, I love you forever and ever, amen." Schlitz relayed the sentimental message to Overstreet, and the two wrote the song in a couple of hours. They recorded the demo version of the song the next day, and pitched it toWarner Bros. executive Martha Sharp. Sharp suggested the material would be best for Travis, for whom Overstreet had previously written "On the Other Hand".
Travis was fond of the song immediately, and abridged its message for the title of his second album,Always and Forever.
The single was first released in March 1987. It debuted onBillboard's country charts on April 25, 1987. The song peaked at number one for three weeks on June 13, 1987, the first single to do so on the country charts sinceJohnny Lee's "Lookin' for Love" seven years prior.
"Forever and Ever, Amen" was heavily lauded in the country community, as well as on a mainstream level. It won aGrammy forBest Country & Western Song at the30th Annual Grammy Awards in 1988. It also claimed Song of the Year honors from theAcademy of Country Music[6] and theCountry Music Association. Nearly three decades past its release, it was certified Gold by theRIAA,[7] making it Travis' first solo single to earn an RIAA certification. Its digital sales were estimated at over 966,000 downloads as of 2016[update].[8]
In 2024,Rolling Stone ranked the song at #48 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.[9]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | 2× Platinum | 966,000[8] |
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| Related articles | |
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