"Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile" is a song written by Johnny Cunningham and recorded by David Allan Coe. It was the first single from Coe's 1984 album Just Divorced, and was released to radio in early 1984. The song is Coe's highest-charting single, with a peak of number two on the U.S. country music charts.
| "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by David Allan Coe | ||||
| from the album Just Divorced | ||||
| B-side | "Someone Special"[1] | |||
| Released | March 1984 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:38 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Cunningham | |||
| Producer(s) | Billy Sherrill | |||
| David Allan Coe singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content
editThe song is a mid-tempo ballad about a young blonde girl, featuring allusions to the iconic Da Vinci painting.
Critical reception
editThom Jurek of Allmusic described the song favorably in his review, saying that "[t]he layered strings and organ work are slick, but they add such warmth and depth in contrast to Coe's voice that it works to devastating effect."[2]
Chart performance
editThe song spent twenty-two weeks on the Billboard country singles charts, reaching a peak of number two and accounting for Coe's highest peak there.[1] In Canada, it reached Number One on the RPM Country Tracks charts dated for June 30, 1984.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Just Divorced review". Allmusic. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
- ^ "RPM Country Tracks for June 30, 1984". RPM. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
- ^ "David Allan Coe Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2021.