Watch the video at the end of this article.
Introduction
Brooks & Dunn’s interpretation of “Missing You” carries with it a history that stretches back long before the celebrated country duo ever recorded it. The song originally emerged in 1984, introduced to the world by English singer-songwriter John Waite. His soft-rock ballad—gentle, restrained, and emotionally raw—quickly struck a chord with audiences. The sincerity of his delivery and the song’s quiet heartbreak propelled it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, securing Waite one of the decade’s most memorable hits. Its unadorned vulnerability made it an enduring favorite, remembered for its subtle power rather than flashy production.
Jump ahead to August 1999, when Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn chose to revisit this classic and give it a fresh country interpretation. Their rendition was released as the lead single from Tight Rope, the duo’s sixth studio album, marking a notable artistic turn. Although the album represented a shift in their commercial trajectory—it became their first not to reach RIAA platinum status and offered only one Top-10 success—their cover of “Missing You” still carved out respectable chart space. It reached No. 15 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart, made an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 75, and climbed to No. 6 on Canada’s RPM Country Tracks chart.
The song’s impact was further supported by a music video directed by Deaton Flanigen, whose visual approach helped reinforce the emotional tone of the track and extend its presence across television and radio outlets.
Musically, Brooks & Dunn approached the song not as a simple recreation but as a transformation. They infused Waite’s soft-rock original with their recognizable blend of honky-tonk flair, smooth balladry, and layered harmonies. Ronnie Dunn’s heartfelt vocal intensity paired with Kix Brooks’s dynamic musical touch reshaped the track into something unmistakably grounded in country tradition.
Although their recording did not achieve the chart-topping heights of the duo’s biggest hits, Brooks & Dunn’s version of “Missing You” endures as a meaningful part of their body of work—a demonstration of their talent for honoring a cross-genre classic with authenticity, warmth, and a distinctly country spirit.
Video
Lyrics
Missing you
Missing you
Missing you
Missing you
Every time I think of you
I always catch my breath
And I’m still standing here, and your miles away
And I’m wondering why you left
And there’s a storm that’s raging
Through my frozen heart tonight
I hear your name in certain circles
And it always makes me smile
I spend my time thinking about you
And it’s almost driving me wild
And there’s a heart that’s breaking
Down this long distance line tonight
I ain’t missing you (missing you)
Since you’ve been gone away
I ain’t missing you (missing you)
No matter what I might say
There’s a message in the wire, and I’m sending you this signal tonight
You don’t know how desperate I’ve become
And it looks like I’m losing this fight
In your world, I have no meaning
I try so hard to understand
And it’s my heart that’s breaking
Down this long distance line tonight
I ain’t missing you (missing you)
Since you’ve been gone away
I ain’t missing you (missing you)
No matter what my friends say
There’s a message that I’m sending out
Like a telegraph to your soul
And if I can’t bridge this distance
Stop this heartbreak overload
I ain’t missing you (missing you)
Since you’ve been gone away
I ain’t missing you (missing you)
No matter what my friends say (missing you)
I ain’t missing you (I ain’t missing you)
(Missing you) I ain’t missing you (I ain’t missing you)
(Missing you) I ain’t missing you (I ain’t missing you)…