Country Songs About First Love and Young Romance

Young love... awkward, sweet, occasionally tragic, and usually soundtracked by country songs on the radio while you sit in a pickup truck under the stars. If there’s one thing country music gets, it’s first love (yes, we’re talking about Taylor Swift’s “Tim McGraw”). After all, nothing says “high school sweetheart” quite like a guitar, a little twang, and lyrics that make you want to text someone you haven’t thought about since prom night.  

From summer flings to first heartbreaks, country artists have perfected the art of transforming those butterflies you feel when you’re young, dumb, and convinced that the person you saw at the county fair riding a mechanical bull, wearing a cowboy hat and boots was your soulmate.  

Country music has always had a knack for making young love sound like the most important thing in the world, which is probably because it kind of is. Country artists are among the best songwriters in the industry; painting perfect pictures of what we experienced when we first fell in love, the good, the bad, and the ugly in less than four minutes.   

The authenticity and relatability are what make the songs hit so hard. These tracks embrace small-town settings where everyone knew everyone, coming-of-age milestones, and the innocence of first relationships, reminding us that young love is sweet not despite its awkwardness, but because of it. (And you know, before adult problems and hang-ups complicate our perception of love).  

Country songs about high school sweethearts are perfect tracks of turning forbidden love and bleacher-side unrequited love between the band girl and the popular jock into timeless ballads. Take for example, “She’s In Love with the Boy,” by Trisha Yearwood. It's the story of Katie, a small-town girl who’s head over heels for her boyfriend Tommy who “ain't worth a lick/When it comes to brains he got the short end of the stick,” much to her father’s dismay. Her mother interfered and reminded her father that when they were teens, he wasn’t exactly a prize catch.   

Then we have George Strait’s “Check Yes or No” which perfectly describes how a young love blossoms into something else all because of a simple note passed during class. Besides, who wouldn’t want to receive a note during a boring class asking, “Do you love me/do you wanna be my friend?”  

If your story with your high school sweetheart, did not end the way you wanted it, Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine,” which won CMA Song of the Year and Single of the Year in 1996, might just be up your alley. Her lyrics, “My first taste of love, oh bittersweet,” sum up the heartbreak and innocence of summer love.   

Do you remember your first kiss? How about the feeling of sweaty palms, nervously thinking if your breath stinks or if they can even hear your beating heart? Country music does a great job of singing about kissing, especially the sweet innocence of a first kiss.  

Faith Hill’s 1998 song “Breathe,” which was a #1 Country/Pop crossover hit, and a Grammy Award winner captured the magical feeling of being with the one you love and the anticipation of knowing you’re about to share your first kiss and feeling their breath. Over a decade later, Lady A’s “Just A Kiss” captured the same feeling of anticipation for “Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight.” The song helped the group reach a 2x Platinum hit and a #1 hit on Country and Adult Contemporary Charts.  

Country music artists have been releasing swoon-worthy ballads tailor-made for slow dancing during weddings. After all, some of them even used video footage from their weddings for the music video to these ballads. Dan + Shay practically described what every groom was feeling before the wedding with “Speechless.” Then there’s Thomas Rhett, who gave us “Die a Happy Man,” a heartfelt love letter so sweet (no wonder it’s sweet, it’s about his wife!) With lyrics that goes, “If I never get to see the Northern Lights/Or if I never get to see the Eiffel Tower at night/Oh, if all I got is your hand in my hand/Baby, I could die a happy man,” we couldn’t think of any song perfect for the first dance between a newly married couple.  

And let’s not forget Kacey Musgraves' “Butterflies” which she wrote after meeting her ex-husband. The song captures that just-married giddiness or that feeling of meeting someone you can see yourself spending your life with.  

These songs are why we believe in the saying “First love never dies.” Sure, you might have moved on. Maybe you’re married now and driving something other than a rusty Chevy truck. But whenever you hear these songs, you’re right back there: spending the summer with your first love, holding their hand, and feeling like your love can conquer the world, or at least convince your parents to let you date.