He stopped loving us today

This headline mawkish enough for you?

Hope so; we’re talkin’ country music.

Specifically, George Jones, who has died at 81, posthumously pissing off people who died of cirrhosis at 41, 51, 61 or 71.

Many obituaries have cited He Stopped Loving Her Today as Possum’s greatest hit, and no doubt that song has propelled many a tear into many a beer.

But it lacks an essential element of the Great Country Song: Self-pity.

Check out George pitying himself half a century ago in She Thinks I Still Care.

In Friday’s Winnipeg concert, Leonard Cohen called George one of the greatest country singers.

Then he sang Choices, one of George’s many apologies for himself.

You remember Choices? That’s the ditty where George rhymes “born” and “wrong.”

Now that’s country.