He Stopped Loving Her Today

He Stopped Loving Her Today is a country song by George Jones. Although Jones actually disliked the song, for him it was a godsend: it was his first #1 song in six years, those years beset by personal and legal issues.

The song tells of a man whose significant other leaves him: he claims he will love her until he dies, while she claims he will eventually move on. In the end, the man is right: in heavily veiled language the singer (a friend of the man) notices that he was "all dressed up to go away" and it was the "first time I've seen him smile in years" (both being the work of the mortician preparing the body for the funeral). Interestingly, the man's former lover attends the funeral to pay her respects.