I read some news that jacked up my day: Cee-Lo and his wife are divorced. I don’t really get caught up in celebrity relationships but this news made me take a step back.

I heard “Country Love” when I was 16 and told my mother that I wanted this song played at my wedding. Almost ten years later, that’s the only detail about my wedding that I give a damn about. The song just almost spoke directly to me as it’s the most honest, unbridled love I’ve ever experienced on wax.

When you have a certain self-image, it’s hard to shake, no matter what anyone says to the contrary. Cee-Lo sees himself one way: broke, unattractive, dependent. So, for the life of him, he doesn’t understand why a woman would want to be on his arm. The refrain “no one is crazy enough to love me but you” illuminates his disbelief and thankfulness that he’s found someone that will put up with him. The beat is old-fashioned, stripped down and country – a veritable “here I am” reflection of Cee-Lo’s honest lyrics with no artificial flavoring – highlighted by the harmonica notes John Popper adds.

I’ve listened to this song probably once a month since I first heard it in high school. As someone who’s grown up around divorces and failed relationships, it’s always been inspirational to see displays of love like this. I took ownership over Cee-Lo’s marriage. This song made his matrimony real in my eyes. I pictured him humming this tune whenever his wife walked in the room.

But that’s over. It always amazes me to think about an emotion that would compel someone to make a song like this suddenly disappearing. It’s a sobering thought. Still, it doesn’t erase the original raw emotion that went into “Country Love” that still resonates with me to this day.

Cee-Lo Feat. John Popper – “Country Love”