Lost 90s Country Song Was Somehow Too Cheesy to Release

A 90s country ballad based on a silly saying from a popular sitcom? In an era marked by movie-catch-phrase song titles, tunes about sentient hearts, and more goofy dance remixes than you could shake it to the right at, this particular one was somehow deemed too cringe. Why is that?

Because it was “Did I Do That?” a phrase made popular by Family Matters character Urkel (played by Jaleel White), a lovable nerd who was often hilariously and disastrously clumsy. Now, that hook might work for an uptempo party song, but this was no “Ain’t Goin’ Down (Till the Sun Comes Up)” or “I Like It, I Love It”; it was a fiddle and steel, cry-in-your-beer heartbreak song.

The tearjerker, written by Craig Wiseman and Gary Loyd was pitched to around 15 different artists, with only 1 cutting the tune. The singer, who can’t be named, but whose name rhymes with Lacey Turd, had hoped to include the song on his 1996 album and release it as a single; they even had single artwork completed. 

That’s when higher ups at MCA stepped in and told him and producers that “Did I Do That?” was just too dopey, even for the 90s (and even for an artist who’d later release the gem, “Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo”). So the song just went into the vaults never to be heard again.

Even Wiseman, who’d go on to become one of the most successful songwriters and music execs in mainstream country is ashamed of “Did I Do That?” “Where’d you even find out about it?” he laughed. “We must’ve had some good weed in the writers’ room that day… a sad song based on a goofy exclamation from a TV dork… it’s even dumber than (Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins’) “Hillbilly Bone” which I am also quite ashamed to have my name associated with” 

When asked if the song might ever see the light of day, Wiseman said “There were several lyrics based on other absurd quotes from the show… and on the last chorus, (singer) even sang the hook similarly to Urkel’s delivery… so honestly, I hope whatever vault the tapes were in burned down and then flooded and then the debris was dispersed by straight-line winds to the horizon.” 

Wiseman did provide the few following lyrics from the song (to the best of his recollection):

My little sweet potato

With eyes so sad and blue

Baby I’ve got to know

If I’m the one that did that to you

My perfect baby cakes

Laura, why did you go?

Was it my mistakes

That got you feelin’ so low

(Part of chorus)

Did I do that?

Break your heart too many times

You ain’t comin’ back

And all the fault is mine”

Song About Country Pride to Be Released

Singer on vacation in the uh... country?

by Trailer - Originally posted on Country California, September 04, 2009 

Next Monday, country music fans will witness the historic release of a game-changing new single. The song, performed by an up-and-coming B-list male singer with a fondness for wearing white t-shirts, is rumored to employ the rarely used "listing" technique to promote the little-known personal preferences of non city-dwellers. 

A bevy of Nashville's most successful songwriters brought their staggering creative genius together to create this masterpiece during a recent writing session. 

"We just looked at each other and knew we had done something special," smiled a clearly satisfied Craig Wiseman, one of the song's cowriters. "You remember how Nirvana changed rock in the '90s? Well, this song is going to redirect the course of country music history... it's that innovative. I mean, hell, it's got collard greens in it!" 

"Did you know that country people sometimes have what's called a 'farmer's tan?'" laughed pioneering cowriter Bob DiPiero. "We're breaking new ground here!" 

Other novel revelations in the tune include the love of "good ol' boys" for "gals in cut off jeans," the shocking contrast of Saturday night's sinfulness to Sunday morning's repentance, the prevalence of southerners' charming loyalty to "mama" and their addictions to fried foods and low-cost alcoholic beverages. Further bullet-point lyrics introduce America, for the very first time, to "Skoal rings," "Hank Jr.," "gravel" and "hard work." 

The new direction and new concepts will surely take some time for country music fans to digest, but this writer expects the song to be huge, possibly even finally giving the rural population something to be prideful about. The ways of their quaint but culturally significant world, heretofore utterly unexplored, will soon be public knowledge to the unwitting listening public, and country music will never be the same again. 

As non-urban people apparently profess frequently: "Yeehaw!" 

What 1 Man Would Give to Have Written 1 FGL Line