| It's Sad to Belong | |
| Cover: | It's_Sad_to_Belong_-_England_Dan_&_John_Ford_Coley.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | England Dan & John Ford Coley |
| Album: | Dowdy Ferry Road |
| B-Side: | The Time Has Come |
| Released: | April 1977 |
| Recorded: | 1976 |
| Length: | 2:54 |
| Label: | Big Tree Records |
| Prev Title: | Nights Are Forever Without You |
| Prev Year: | 1976 |
| Next Title: | Gone Too Far |
| Next Year: | 1977 |
"It's Sad to Belong" is a song written by Randy Goodrum and performed by England Dan & John Ford Coley on their 1977 album, Dowdy Ferry Road. Called a "timeless classic",[1] it peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the easy listening chart.[2] It was one of the earlier pop hits in Goodrum's career.[3]
"It's Sad to Belong" was released in May 1977[4] through Big Tree Records, with the b-side "The Time Has Come".[5] It became one of "a string of hit singles" that England Dan & John Ford Coley had in the mid-1970s.[6] [7]
The song topped the adult contemporary (then called "easy listening") chart for five consecutive weeks from June 25 to July 23.[8] [9] It also appeared on the top 40 "rack singles" list on June 7.[10] On December 24, it ranked #3 on Billboards end-of-the-year easy listening chart.[11]
"It's Sad to Belong" is the second track on Dowdy Ferry Road. It is one of only two songs on the album not written by either singer.[12]
The song has been called "bittersweet", telling the story of a married man falling in love with another woman and knowing they cannot be together.[1] Dale Van Atta of the Deseret News observed that it is "the universal divorce anthem - about the alleged monotony of monogamy" and that the duo "[reduces] it to a simple, peaceful chorus" (referring to the line, Yes, it's sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along).[13]
Billboard described the song as a "sweetly catchy ballad."[14] Cash Box said "The strong point is their seamless harmony, easing a catchy chorus through several refrains."[15] Record World said that "the latest single by this duo deals with the 'trying to love two' theme in a way that should find listeners in pop, MOR and country formats in short order."[16]
It is still performed in concerts by the surviving member of the duo, John Ford Coley.[1]
B.J. Thomas recorded a version of "It's Sad to Belong" in 1977 on his eponymous LP.[20]
