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So Help Me Girl

{{Short description|1995 single by Joe Diffie}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox song

| name = So Help Me Girl

| cover = JD - So Help Me Girl single.png

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Joe Diffie

| album = Third Rock from the Sun

| B-side = "The Cows Came Home"

| released = January 30, 1995

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Country

| length = 3:29

| label = Epic

| writer = Howard Perdew, Andy Spooner

| producer = Johnny Slate, Joe Diffie

| prev_title = Pickup Man

| prev_year = 1994

| next_title = I'm in Love with a Capital "U"

| next_year = 1995

}}

"So Help Me Girl" is a song written by Howard Perdew and Andy Spooner and recorded by American country music singer Joe Diffie. It was released in January 1995 as the third single from his fourth studio album, Third Rock from the Sun (1994). The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, where it debuted at number 59 for the week of February 4, 1995, and number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|date=2008|pages=125–126|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}

Music video

The music video for "So Help Me Girl" was directed by Gerry Wenner and premiered in early 1995.

Charts

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=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1995)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Canadacountry|1|chartid=9044|publishdate=May 1, 1995|accessdate=July 21, 2013}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|84|artist=Joe Diffie|artistid=2323|accessdate=October 19, 2011}}
{{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|2|artist=Joe Diffie|artistid=2323|accessdate=October 19, 2011}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col"|Chart (1995)

!scope="col"|Position

Canada Country Tracks (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.2838&type=1&interval=24|title=RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995|work=RPM|date=December 18, 1995|accessdate=July 21, 2013}}

| align="center" | 57

US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{Cite magazine | url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/hot-country-songs| title=Best of 1995: Country Songs | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | date=1995| accessdate=July 21, 2013}}

| align="center" | 41

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Gary Barlow version

{{Infobox song

| name = So Help Me Girl

| cover = Garybarlowsohelpmegirl.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Gary Barlow

| album = Open Road

| B-side = "Million to One", "Offer My Peace"

| released = {{start date|1997|7|14}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 4:29

| label = RCA, BMG

| writer = Howard Perdew, Andy Spooner

| producer = David Foster

| chronology = Gary Barlow UK singles

| prev_title = Love Won't Wait

| prev_year = 1997

| next_title = Open Road

| next_year = 1997

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Gary Barlow US singles

| type = single

| title = So Help Me Girl

| year = 1997

| next_title = Superhero

| next_year = 1998

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|FSoJ5uR1rqU|"So Help Me Girl"}}}}

{{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative cover

| type = single

| cover = So_help.jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption = American cover

}}

}}

"So Help Me Girl" was covered by English singer and songwriter Gary Barlow, and released as the third single from his debut solo album, Open Road (1997), in the United Kingdom on July 14, 1997, and as the lead single from the album in the US later in the year. Following the success of the album in the UK, Barlow signed a record deal with Arista records for it to be released in the US. He reworked the album for the American market and subsequently released a remixed version of "So Help Me Girl" as the lead single there.

Produced by David Foster, "So Help Me Girl" was released in 65 countries around the world and topped the charts in 13 countries.http://springbarrelsongpluggingservices.com/success.html Gary Barlow So Help Me Girl SpringBarrell Songwriter Services. Accessed 28/12/13 In the UK, it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. And in the US, the single peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart and number 58 on the Billboard Radio Charts.{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=gary barlow|chart=all}}

=Critical reception=

Larry Flick from Billboard gave the American version of "So Help Me Girl" a positive review, saying that it did not stray from Barlow's work in the group Take That. He also praised his "boyish teen-idol charm" and "flexible tenor."{{cite magazine|first=Larry|last=Flick|date=August 16, 1997|title=Single Reviews|magazine=Billboard|page=62|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2gkEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Gary+barlow%22+%22joe+diffie%22&pg=PA62|author-link=Larry Flick}} A reviewer from Music Week rated it three out of five, adding that "the song's Nashville roots are barely discernible on this David Foster update which turns it into a swoony, low-key ballad to give Barlow another hit."{{cite magazine|first=|last=|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1997/Music-Week-1997-07-05.pdf|title=Reviews: Singles|magazine=Music Week|date=July 5, 1997|page=30|access-date=August 15, 2022}} David Sinclair from The Times wrote, "Old country song given a dreary, pop ballad treatment."Sinclair, David (July 19, 1997). "Albums; The week's top pop releases". The Times.

=Music video=

Two music videos were released for So Help Me Girl. The first video, accompanying the European release of the single, similar to the music video for Diffie's version, features Barlow taking a girl home after a night out, and waking up the next morning and realising that he has cheated on his girlfriend. He performs the majority of the song in the bedroom, before moving to a piano for the final scenes, which depict a fight between his girlfriend and the girl he took home. The second video, accompanying the American release of the single, begins with Barlow sitting alone on a bridge and throwing a rose into the water below, whilst a mysterious woman looks on. He then continues to perform the song whilst looking through the windows of a darkened house, where he spots a young girl. The video continues with Barlow walking through a lighted tunnel of moving cars, before returning to the house and performing the final line of the song to the girl personally.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSoJ5uR1rqU Official Music Video of So Help Me Girl

=Track listings=

  • UK CD1 and Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=74321 501202 2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=74321 507072}}
  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "Million to One"
  3. "Offer My Peace"
  4. "So Help Me Girl" (C Swing mix)
  • UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=74321 501 212}}
  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "So Help Me Girl" (Peter Mokran mix)
  3. "Interview"
  • UK cassette single and European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=74321 501 204}}{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=74321 506572}}
  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "Million to One"
  • US CD and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=Arista Records|id=07822-13428-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=Arista Records|id=07822-13428-4}}
  1. "So Help Me Girl" – 4:29
  2. "Back for Good" (live) – 4:03
  • Japanese CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=So Help Me Girl|others=Gary Barlow|year=1997|type=Japanese CD single liner notes|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=BVCP-8872}}
  1. "So Help Me Girl"
  2. "Million to One"
  3. "Offer My Peace"

=Charts=

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==Weekly charts==

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1997)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|36|artist=Gary Barlow|song=So Help Me Girl|access-date=November 16, 2023}}
{{single chart|Flanders Tip|7|artist=Gary Barlow|song=So Help Me Girl|access-date=November 16, 2023}}
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=14|issue=31|page=12|date=August 2, 1997}}

|align="center"|41

Europe (European Hit Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1997/MM-1997-08-02.pdf|title=EHR Top 40|magazine=Music & Media|volume=14|issue=31|date=2 August 1997|page=21|access-date=10 April 2024}}

|align="center"|14

{{single chart|Germany|78|artist=Gary Barlow|song=So Help Me Girl|songid=20255|access-date=November 16, 2023}}
{{single chart|Ireland2|14|artist=Gary Barlow|access-date=November 16, 2023}}
Japan (Oricon){{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/68069/profile/history/|title=ゲイリー・バーロウのヒストリー|trans-title=Garlow Barlow's History|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309210438/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/68069/profile/history/|archive-date=March 9, 2014|access-date=November 16, 2023}}

|align="center"|7

{{single chart|Dutch100|58|artist=Gary Barlow|song=So Help Me Girl|access-date=November 16, 2023}}
{{single chart|Scotland|13|date=19970720}}
Taiwan (IFPI)[https://web.archive.org/web/19980224060942/http://ifpi.org.tw/chart/1997/single31.htm IFPI Taiwan - Single Top 10 (1997/31)]

|align="center"|3

{{single chart|UK|11|date=19970726|access-date=November 16, 2023}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|44|artist=Gary Barlow|access-date=November 16, 2023}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|3|artist=Gary Barlow|access-date=November 16, 2023}}

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==Year-end charts==

class="wikitable"
Chart (1997)

!Position

Brazil (Crowley){{cite web|url=https://maistocadas.mus.br/1997/|title=Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1997|date=April 3, 2018|publisher=Crowley Broadcast Analysis|accessdate=June 29, 2024}}

| style="text-align:center;"|98

Chart (1998)

!Position

US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Best of '98: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=6|issue=52|page=56|date=December 25, 1998}}

|align="center"|28

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=Release history=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|July 14, 1997

|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}

|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|RCA|BMG}}

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=31|date=July 12, 1997}}

scope="row"|Japan

|July 24, 1997

|CD

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/68069/products/56991/1/|title=ソー・ヘルプ・ミー・ガール {{!}} ゲイリー・バーロウ|trans-title=So Help Me Girl {{!}} Gary Barlow|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=November 16, 2023}}

Other versions

Mark Wills and Nate Smith covered the song on Hardy's 2024 mixtape, Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape.

References

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Joe Diffie singles}}

{{Gary Barlow}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1990s ballads

Category:1994 songs

Category:1995 singles

Category:1997 singles

Category:Arista Records singles

Category:Country ballads

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:Joe Diffie songs

Category:Gary Barlow songs

Category:Nate Smith (singer) songs

Category:Mark Wills songs

Category:Music videos credited to Alan Smithee

Category:Pop ballads

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Bob Montgomery (songwriter)

Category:Song recordings produced by David Foster