So Help Me Girl

"So Help Me Girl"
Single by Joe Diffie
from the album Third Rock from the Sun
B-side"The Cows Came Home"[1]
ReleasedJanuary 30, 1995
GenreCountry
Length3:29
LabelEpic
SongwritersHoward Perdew, Andy Spooner
ProducersJohnny Slate, Joe Diffie
Joe Diffie singles chronology
"Pickup Man"
(1994) 		"So Help Me Girl"
(1995) 		"I'm in Love with a Capital "U""
(1995)

"So Help Me Girl" is a song written by Howard Perdew and Andy Spooner and recorded by American country music singer Joe Diffie. It was released in January 1995 as the third single from his fourth studio album, Third Rock from the Sun (1994). There are two versions of the song that exist. The single version is exactly the same as the one found on Diffie's 1996 greatest hits album, with a high note at the end of the second chorus.The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, where it debuted at number 59 for the week of February 4, 1995, and number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]

Music video

The music video for "So Help Me Girl" was directed by Gerry Wenner and premiered in early 1995.

Charts

Gary Barlow version

"So Help Me Girl"
Single by Gary Barlow
from the album Open Road
B-side"Million to One", "Offer My Peace"
ReleasedJuly 14, 1997 (1997-07-14)
GenrePop
Length4:29
LabelRCA, BMG
SongwritersHoward Perdew, Andy Spooner
ProducerDavid Foster
Gary Barlow UK singles chronology
"Love Won't Wait"
(1997) 		"So Help Me Girl"
(1997) 		"Open Road"
(1997)
Gary Barlow US singles chronology
"So Help Me Girl"
(1997) 		"Superhero"
(1998)
Music video
"So Help Me Girl" on YouTube
Alternative cover
American cover

"So Help Me Girl" was covered by English singer and songwriter Gary Barlow, and released as the third single from his debut solo album, Open Road (1997), in the United Kingdom on July 14, 1997, and as the lead single from the album in the US later in the year. Following the success of the album in the UK, Barlow signed a record deal with Arista records for it to be released in the US. He reworked the album for the American market and subsequently released a remixed version of "So Help Me Girl" as the lead single there.

Produced by David Foster, "So Help Me Girl" was released in 65 countries around the world and topped the charts in 13 of them.[7] In the UK, it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, the single peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Barlow's only solo hit on that chart), number three on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart and number 58 on the Billboard Radio Charts.[8]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine gave the American version of "So Help Me Girl" a positive review, saying that it did not stray from Barlow's work in the group Take That. He also praised his "boyish teen-idol charm" and "flexible tenor."[9] A reviewer from Music Week rated it three out of five, adding that "the song's Nashville roots are barely discernible on this David Foster update which turns it into a swoony, low-key ballad to give Barlow another hit."[10] David Sinclair from The Times wrote, "Old country song given a dreary, pop ballad treatment."[11]

Music video

Two music videos were released for So Help Me Girl. The first video, accompanying the European release of the single, similar to the music video for Diffie's version, features Barlow taking a girl home after a night out, and waking up the next morning and realising that he has cheated on his girlfriend. He performs the majority of the song in the bedroom, before moving to a piano for the final scenes, which depict a fight between his girlfriend and the girl he took home. The second video, accompanying the American release of the single, begins with Barlow sitting alone on a bridge and throwing a rose into the water below, whilst a mysterious woman looks on. He then continues to perform the song whilst looking through the windows of a darkened house, where he spots a young girl. The video continues with Barlow walking through a lighted tunnel of moving cars, before returning to the house and performing the final line of the song to the girl personally.[12]

Track listings

  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "Million to One"
  3. "Offer My Peace"
  4. "So Help Me Girl" (C Swing mix)
  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "So Help Me Girl" (Peter Mokran mix)
  3. "Interview"
  • UK cassette single and European CD single[16][17]
  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "Million to One"
  1. "So Help Me Girl" – 4:29
  2. "Back for Good" (live) – 4:03
  • Japanese CD single[20]
  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "Million to One"
  3. "Offer My Peace"

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom July 14, 1997
  • CD
  • cassette
[49]
Japan July 24, 1997 CD [50]

Other versions

Mark Wills and Nate Smith covered the song on Hardy's 2024 mixtape, Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape.

References

  1. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 125–126. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Image 9044". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  3. ^ "Joe Diffie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  4. ^ "Joe Diffie Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  5. ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  6. ^ "Best of 1995: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  7. ^ http://springbarrelsongpluggingservices.com/success.html Gary Barlow So Help Me Girl SpringBarrell Songwriter Services. Accessed 28/12/13
  8. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/gary-barlow/chart-history/
  9. ^ Flick, Larry (August 16, 1997). "Single Reviews". Billboard. p. 62.
  10. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. July 5, 1997. p. 30. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  11. ^ Sinclair, David (July 19, 1997). "Albums; The week's top pop releases". The Times.
  12. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSoJ5uR1rqU Official Music Video of So Help Me Girl
  13. ^ So Help Me Girl (UK CD1 liner notes). RCA Records, BMG. 1997. 74321 501202 2.
  14. ^ So Help Me Girl (Australian CD single liner notes). RCA Records, BMG. 1997. 74321 507072.
  15. ^ So Help Me Girl (UK CD2 liner notes). RCA Records, BMG. 1997. 74321 501 212.
  16. ^ So Help Me Girl (UK cassette single sleeve). RCA Records, BMG. 1997. 74321 501 204.
  17. ^ So Help Me Girl (European CD single liner notes). RCA Records, BMG. 1997. 74321 506572.
  18. ^ So Help Me Girl (US CD single liner notes). Arista Records. 1997. 07822-13428-2.
  19. ^ So Help Me Girl (US cassette single sleeve). Arista Records. 1997. 07822-13428-4.
  20. ^ So Help Me Girl (Japanese CD single liner notes). RCA Records, BMG. 1997. BVCP-8872.
  21. ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  22. ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  23. ^ "Regional Airplay: Benelux" (PDF). Music & Media. August 2, 1997. p. 23. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  24. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 3404". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Eesti Top 20". Sõnumileht (in Estonian). August 5, 1997. p. 8. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  26. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 31. August 2, 1997. p. 12.
  27. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 31. August 2, 1997. p. 21. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  29. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Gary Barlow". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  30. ^ "ゲイリー・バーロウのヒストリー" [Garlow Barlow's History] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  31. ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  32. ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  33. ^ "Regional Airplay: Scandinavia" (PDF). Music & Media. August 16, 1997. p. 31. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 20/7/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  36. ^ IFPI Taiwan - Single Top 10 (1997/31)
  37. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 26/7/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  38. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. August 2, 1997. p. 15. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  39. ^ "Gary Barlow Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  40. ^ "Gary Barlow Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  41. ^ "R&R AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 21, 1997. p. 83. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  42. ^ "R&R CHR/Pop Top 50" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 14, 1998. p. 35. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  43. ^ "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1997". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. April 3, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  44. ^ "RMP's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '97". RPM. December 15, 1997. Retrieved September 29, 2024 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  45. ^ "LITHUANIA – Radio M-1 Top 100 of 1997". M-1. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  46. ^ "RMP's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98". RPM. December 14, 1998. Retrieved September 29, 2024 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  47. ^ "Best of '98: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 56.
  48. ^ "R&R CHR/Pop Top 98" (PDF). Radio & Records. December 11, 1998. p. 91. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  49. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. July 12, 1997. p. 31.
  50. ^ "ソー・ヘルプ・ミー・ガール | ゲイリー・バーロウ" [So Help Me Girl | Gary Barlow] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
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