Introduction
âLove Without End, Amenâ was written by AaronâŻBarker and first released by George Strait in AprilâŻ1990 as the lead single from his Livinâ It Up album . Recorded in Nashville on FebruaryâŻ15,âŻ1990, the song marked a turning point in Straitâs career when it became his first multiâweek No.âŻ1 hit, spending five weeks atop the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chartâa feat none of his eighteen prior No.âŻ1 singles had achieved .
The tender, midâtempo ballad unfolds in three narrative verses: first, a childhood incident in which the young narrator is sent home from school with a black eye, expecting punishmentâbut instead receives a lesson that a fatherâs love is unwavering (âa love without end, amenâ); second, the narrator becomes a father himself and passes on the same lesson; third, he imagines standing outside Heaven, wondering if he belongs, only to hear that same message of unconditional love echoing eternally .
In an iconic live performance recorded on MarchâŻ3,âŻ2002, George Strait sang the song during the final concert ever held at Houstonâs Astrodome, part of the closing night of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo . This show drew 68,266 attendees, breaking Selenaâs previous attendance record, and became Straitâs first live album, For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome, released on FebruaryâŻ11,âŻ2003 .
That night holds extra resonance: Strait dedicated âLove Without End, Amenâ to President George H.âŻW. Bush and Barbara Bush, noting it was one of their favorite songs and recalling a personal invitation to Camp David as one of the highlights of his career .
This live rendition captures not only the emotional resonance of the lyrics but also the communal and celebratory spirit of the momentâan enduring testament to the timeless power of paternal love.
Video
Lyrics
Well here we sit at a table for two
But bottle thereâs just me and you
She loved me so but I loved her so wrong
I gave her too much of too little too long
So tell me bottle are the things I hear true
That all the answers are in the bottle of you
I need your help this memoryâs so strong
I gave her too much of too little too long
Sometimes a man can get lost in a world of his own
Heâll neglect his real world whoâs waiting at home
A woman needs her manâs love to lean on
I gave her too much of too little too longBest gifts for your loved ones