About The Song
“Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache)” is one of the records that firmly established Buck Owens as a new force in early 1960s country music. Co-written by Owens and Harlan Howard, the song was released on Capitol Records as a single on August 1, 1960, with “I’ve Got a Right to Know” on the B-side. Clocking in at about 2:25, it captured the lean, electric Bakersfield sound that Owens was developing on the West Coast, at a time when most Nashville hits were wrapped in strings and smooth backing choirs.
The track was recorded at Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood, in sessions produced by Ken Nelson. Session documentation and later compilation notes place the first recording of the song in late 1959, with Owens backed by the small, hard-driving band that would evolve into his classic Buckaroos lineup. Guitar, fiddle, pedal steel, piano, bass and drums are all present, but the arrangement stays uncluttered, leaving plenty of space for Owens’ voice and the song’s sharp hook. Those same recordings would later be reused on compilations like The Very Best of Buck Owens, Volume 1 and on the multi-disc Complete Capitol Singles set, underlining how central the track is to his early catalogue. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
On the charts, “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache)” was a breakthrough. The single climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the fall of 1960, giving Owens a second straight Top 5 hit after “Above and Beyond” and proving his success was no fluke. Country histories and label bios note that by the time his debut album Buck Owens arrived in early 1961, he already had three major hits under his belt: “Under Your Spell Again,” “Above and Beyond,” and “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache).” That run helped transform him from a regional act out of Bakersfield into a national name whose singles were must-adds for country radio.
The lyric gets straight to the point. The narrator has just realized that the relationship he’s in is hurting him more than it’s helping, and he stops the conversation with a simple, unforgettable line: “Excuse me, I think I’ve got a heartache.” Instead of raging or begging, he sounds resigned and a little embarrassed, as if he’s only now admitting to himself how badly he’s been wounded. The verses sketch a picture of someone who has tried to make things work, only to discover that the other person’s love was never as true as his own. That mix of humility and quiet anger gives the song a sting that listeners immediately recognized.
Owens’ vocal performance is what turns that idea into a classic. He sings in his bright, ringing tenor, riding just ahead of the beat, as if the words are tumbling out faster than he can fully control. Behind him, the band settles into a tight shuffle: clean electric guitar lines snap between phrases, pedal steel comments mournfully on the lyric, and the snare drum cracks like a door closing. Ken Nelson’s production keeps everything dry and present, with no studio gloss to dull the edges. The result is a record that feels like it could have been cut live in a small California bar, yet is sharp enough to dominate a national playlist.
The partnership between Buck Owens and Harlan Howard is another key part of the song’s legacy. Howard would go on to write or co-write many of Owens’ most important hits, including “Above and Beyond,” “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail” and “Under the Influence of Love.” When Capitol issued the 1961 LP Buck Owens Sings Harlan Howard, “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache)” was one of the centerpiece songs, a prime example of how Howard’s plainspoken, emotionally precise writing fit Owens’ sharp Bakersfield sound. That album is still praised by critics as one of Owens’ most enjoyable and consistent sets.
Over the years, the song has proved durable far beyond its original chart run. SecondHandSongs and other databases list a long line of covers, from early renditions by Kitty Wells and George Hamilton IV to later versions by bluegrass bands and country revivalists. Even alternative rock band Cake tackled it on their 2007 collection B-Sides and Rarities, proof that its melody and hook travel easily across genres. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} For Buck Owens himself, “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache)” remains a landmark: the moment when his blend of hard country rhythm, electric twang and everyday heartbreak crystallized into a sound that would dominate the 1960s and echo in country music long after the original 45 stopped spinning.
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Lyric
… They just don’t know how lost I feel without you
My teardrops never see the light of day
I laugh and joke each time they talk about you
But if they heard my heart, they’d hear it say
… “Excuse me, I think I’ve got a heartache
There’s an achin’ deep inside, and it just won’t be denied
Excuse me, I think I’ve got a heartache
And I better say goodbye before I cry”
… I guess it’s pride that makes me hide my sorrow
I live a lie in all I do and say
My lips may lie and paint a bright tomorrow
But if I told the truth, I’d have to say
… “Excuse me, I think I’ve got a heartache
There’s an achin’ deep inside, and it just won’t be denied
Excuse me, I think I’ve got a heartache
And I better say goodbye before I cry”