‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do’ Is Somewhat Generic Melodically

The follow-up to Brantley Gilbert‘s chart-topping single ‘Country Must Be Country Wide’ allows the singer to show a dark vulnerability that is sure to make him a more appealing artist to country music fans who may be turned off by his brand of country rock. ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do’ is sentimental without being sissy.

Gilbert wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on his ‘Halfway to Heaven’ album, often drawing from personal experience. This mid-tempo cut about heartbreak feels genuine, though a little rushed. More time was needed to turn his pain into artistry.

"Cause you don’t know her like I do / You’ll never understand / You don’t know what we’ve been through / That girl’s my best friend / And there’s no way you’re gonna help me / She’s the only one who can / No, you don’t know how much I’ve got to lose / You don’t know her like I do,” Gilbert sings during the chorus. He’s talking to a friend that’s trying to move him past the hurt.

"I can’t forget, I’m drowning in these memories / It fills my soul with all the little things / And I can’t cope, it’s like a death inside the family / It’s like she stole my way to breathe / So don’t try to tell me I’ll stop hurting / And don’t try to tell me she ain’t worth it,” he adds during the second verse.

While Gilbert continues to bring a unique sound and perspective to country music, ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do’ is somewhat generic melodically. His passion and raw emotion overcome this flaw but not as well as some of the other songs on ‘Halfway to Heaven.’