Studio Album · No. 4
Trail of Tears Songwriting Credits by Billy Ray Cyrus
Produced by Billy Ray Cyrus, Terry Shelton · Engineered by John Jaszcz, Terry Shelton, Chuck Linder, Michael Joe Sagraves, Hank Williams
Holds writing credit on 7 of 11 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 11 documented
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Billy Ray Cyrus carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Trail of Tears is the album where Billy Ray Cyrus took hold of his own material. He is a credited writer on every song except 'Three Little Words,' most often paired with Don Von Tress, the writer of 'Achy Breaky Heart.' The two share credit on 'Truth Is, I Lied,' 'Call Me Daddy,' and 'Need a Little Help,' while other co-writers include Mark Collie on 'Tenntucky' and his producer Terry Shelton. He wrote 'Trail of Tears' and 'Should I Stay' alone. The four songs he did not write are covers of Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, and J.J. Cale, plus the Wayne Perkins and Jim Collins single 'Three Little Words.'
Trail of Tears is the fourth studio album by Billy Ray Cyrus, released on August 20, 1996 on Mercury Records. It marks his most hands-on writing effort to that point, with Cyrus credited as a songwriter on every track except the second single 'Three Little Words.' He self-produced the record with Terry Shelton and framed the sound around what he called 'Homegrown Music,' leaning into roots rock and traditional country rather than the pop-country of his 'Achy Breaky Heart' era. The track list mixes his own co-writes with covers of Merle Haggard's 'Sing Me Back Home,' Tom T. Hall's 'Harper Valley PTA,' and J.J. Cale's 'Crazy Mama.' Commercially it was a step down from his early success, reaching No. 20 on Top Country Albums and No. 125 on the Billboard 200. The two singles, the title track and 'Three Little Words,' both stalled outside the country top 60.
Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Trail of Tears
#69
|
Billy Ray Cyrus | Billy Ray Cyrus | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Truth Is, I Lied
|
Billy Ray CyrusDon Von TressCarl Perkins | Billy Ray CyrusDon Von TressCarl Perkins | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Tenntucky
|
Billy Ray CyrusMark Collie | Billy Ray CyrusMark Collie | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Call Me Daddy
|
Billy Ray CyrusDon Von TressMichael Joe Sagraves | Billy Ray CyrusDon Von TressMichael Joe Sagraves | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Sing Me Back Home
|
Merle Haggard | Merle Haggard | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Three Little Words
#65
|
Wayne PerkinsJim Collins | Wayne PerkinsJim Collins | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Harper Valley PTA
|
Tom T. Hall | Tom T. Hall | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
I Am Here Now
|
Billy Ray CyrusMichael Joe SagravesCorky HolbrookTerry Shelton | Billy Ray CyrusMichael Joe SagravesCorky HolbrookTerry Shelton | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Need a Little Help
|
Billy Ray CyrusDon Von Tress | Billy Ray CyrusDon Von Tress | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Should I Stay
|
Billy Ray Cyrus | Billy Ray Cyrus | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Crazy Mama
|
J.J. Cale | J.J. Cale | Billy Ray CyrusTerry Shelton | Billy Ray Cyrus (Lead Vocals) |