When the Possum and the First Lady Called Out the Hypocrites
Ah, the 1970s. For those of us who tuned into Country radio then, the names George Jones and Tammy Wynette meant one thing: beautiful, agonizing, public heartbreak set to music. Their duets were not just songs; they were intimate broadcasts from the stormy centre of a marriage that defined Country Music’s most dramatic era. And in the spring of 1975, just as their tumultuous union was finally collapsing into a painful, permanent divorce, they gave us “God’s Gonna Get ’Cha (For That),” a track that felt less like a lover’s quarrel and more like an Old Testament prophecy aimed straight at the hypocrites.
This single, released in June 1975, was the second of two chart entries from their 1974 duet album, George & Tammy & Tina (an album title that, in retrospect, perfectly captured the confused chaos of their blended family life at the time). While the partnership itself was unraveling, the magic of their vocal blend remained undeniable, but the theme here was different. This wasn’t a song about romantic fidelity or emotional survival, like their signature hits. Instead, “God’s Gonna Get ‘Cha (For That)” was a powerful, finger-wagging sermon, written by E. E. Collins, asserting that a higher power sees all hidden sins and that judgment is inevitable—particularly for the self-righteous.
Despite the intensity of the performance, and perhaps because the Country charts were already saturated with the painful reality of their personal lives, this single didn’t soar to the top tier. It managed to climb to a respectable, but not spectacular, Number 25 on the U.S. Hot Country Singles chart. For a Jones and Wynette duet, a Number 25 peak felt almost like a minor chord in their grand opera of hits. But a chart position only tells part of the story, doesn’t it? The real history of this song lies in its biting, almost righteous anger.
The meaning of the song resonates far beyond the typical Country fare of cheatin’ and drinkin’. It specifically targets those who parade their piety while harbouring deep, hidden moral failures. It’s a critique of hypocrisy, the kind of church-pew moralizing that we all knew existed in every small town but rarely heard addressed so directly. With George Jones’ famous ‘Possum’ growl and Tammy Wynette’s tear-in-the-voice purity, they create a chillingly effective dynamic: a pair of artists often publicly condemned for their own personal vices now turning the tables on their moralizers. It’s a breathtaking piece of art that reclaims their narrative by reminding the world that everyone, regardless of their position in the community, is accountable.
Listening to “God’s Gonna Get ‘Cha (For That)” today, the nostalgic chill we feel isn’t just for the brilliant, troubled performers, but for a whole era of honest, raw Country Music. This song is a snapshot of two legends at the very edge of their relationship, channeling their life-worn spirituality into a stern, gospel-infused warning. It’s a testament to the fact that even at their messiest, George and Tammy knew how to deliver a truth that hit you right between the eyes, a classic piece of Nashville drama produced with the signature lush sound of Billy Sherrill, but retaining a stark, unforgiving lyrical edge.