What Am I Gonna Do About You (song)
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| "What Am I Gonna Do About You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Reba McEntire | ||||
| from the album What Am I Gonna Do About You | ||||
| B-side | "I Heard Her Crying" | |||
| Released | September 15, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:28 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jim Allison Doug Gilmore Bob Simon | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Bowen Reba McEntire | |||
| Reba McEntire singles chronology | ||||
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"What Am I Gonna Do About You" is a song written by Jim Allison, Doug Gilmore, and Bob Simon. It was first recorded by American country music artist Con Hunley in 1986 on the Capitol Records label and later by Reba McEntire for her 1986 studio album of the same name. Produced by Jimmy Bowen and McEntire, it was a number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[1]
It debuted at #54 on the Hot Country Single's chart for the week of October 11, 1986 and peaked at #1 for the week of January 17, 1987.
"What Am I Gonna Do About You" was recorded by Con Hunley in 1985 on the Capitol Records label with "Lord, She Sure Looks Good Tonight" on the B-side. His version was released on the Capitol #5525, spending 15 weeks on the country charts and peaking at #48.
It was recorded by Reba McEntire in 1986 at the Sound Stage Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.[2]
Content
The song is characterized as a slow ballad, which describes how a woman tries to recover from a love affair,[3] saying throughout the song, "what am I gonna do about you." The song's chorus is also repeated throughout the song:
- What in the world am I gonna do about you
- Oh your memory keeps coming back from out of the blue
- Oh well I try and I try, but I still can't believe that we're through
- So tell me what in the world am I gonna do about you
- What am I gonna do about you
Critical reception
Upon its release and many years afterward, "What Am I Gonna Do About You" gained positive reviews. Although William Ruhlmann of Allmusic found the song not to have the characteristics of her previous releases, he received the song well. Ruhlmann found it to be nearly similar to that of her number one single, "Whoever's in New England," stating, "the title song had something of the feel of "Whoever's in New England" in its portrayal of a woman trying to recover from a painfully ended love affair."[3]