Reportedly George Jones hated that song when first offered to him but his career was faltering at the time so he conceded.
He stated after the recording was cut that "Nobody will buy that morbid son of a b!tch".
but when it went gold he said "a four decade career was salvaged by a three minute song".

They're all gone now but remember ..

"If you had Johnny's Cash and Charley's Pride, you wouldn't have a Buck Owen"