A Lesson in Leaving

Single infobox
Name = A Lesson in Leavin'


Artist = Dottie West
from Album = Special Delivery
Released = February 1980
Format = Album
Genre = Country-Pop
Length = 3:01
Label = Liberty
Last single = "You Pick Me Up and Put Me Down"
1979
This single = "A Lesson In Leavin'"
1980
Next single = "Leavin's For Unbelievers"
1980Single infobox
Name = Lesson in Leavin'


Artist = Jo Dee Messina
from Album = I'm Alright
Released = 1999
Format = Album
Genre = Contemporary Country
Length = 3:38
Label = Curb
Certification =
Last single = "Stand Beside Me" (1998)
This single = "Lesson In Leavin'" (1999)
Next single = "Because You Love Me" (1999)

"A Lesson in Leavin'" or "Lesson in Leavin'" is the name of a popular Country music song. The original version of the song reached No. 1 on the Country charts in 1980 by Dottie West. The second version was recorded by Jo Dee Messina in 1999, and spent 7 weeks at No. 2 on the Country charts.

Dottie West version

At 48 years old, West had her first No. 1 hit as a solo artist with "A Lesson in Leavin'." The song was the biggest hit of West's solo career when it also climbed to No. 73 on the Pop charts, establishing her as a crossover Country artist, at a time in Country music when being a Country crossover artist was the most popular choice. It was one of two No. 1 hits for West as a solo act, the other was "Are You Happy Baby" in 1981.

"A Lesson in Leavin'" was part of a historic time in Country music history, a week before it reached No. 1. That week all positions in the Top 5 were held by women, including Dottie West and her hit.

#Crystal Gayle ("It's Like We Never Said Goodbye")
#Dottie West ("A Lesson In Leavin'")
#Debby Boone ("Are You On The Road To Lovin' Me Again")
#Emmylou Harris ("Beneath Still Waters")
#Tammy Wynette ("Two Story House" with George Jones)

The album "Special Delivery" did very well for West as well. The song also sounded different than other material that was recorded before from West. In the late 1970s and into the mid 1980s, country music had its own style called countrypolitan (Country-Pop), or songs that sounded more pop-oriented.

Charts

Jo Dee Messina version

Jo Dee Messina recorded her version of the song — titled simply "Lesson In Leavin'" — in 1997 for her album "I'm Alright".

Released on May 1 of that year, "Lesson in Leavin'" went on to spend seven weeks at #2 on the country charts, having been blocked from Number One by Lonestar's eight-week Number One "Amazed". Despite the song's inability to reach No. 1, "Lesson in Leavin'" became the year's No. 3 song on "Billboard's" year-end Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

In interviews, Messina has said she covered the song in memory of Dottie West, one of her biggest influences: "She was the first woman to cross over. She was the first woman to do so much. She's a part of Country music's history. She had spunk. She had fire. She loved the fans, and she loved people. She was a very strong woman."fact|date=July 2008

Charts

Meaning of the Song

The song is about a woman angry about her boyfriend leaving her, saying he's gonna get back what he's been giving to her. The lyrics for the main part of the song follow as this:

"Somebody's gonna give you a lesson in leavin',
Somebody's gonna give you back what you been givin', and I hope that I'm around
To watch 'em knock ya down
It's like you to love 'em and leave 'em, just like you loved me and left me,
It's like you to that sorta thing
Over and over again, you're a fool-hearted man"

uccession Box for West's No. 1 Version