“We’re Gonna Hold On” marked Tammy Wynette’s first No. 1 hit in collaboration with her then-husband, George Jones. Country music has long celebrated legendary duos, but few were as iconic—or as turbulent—as Jones and Wynette.
The song was released shortly after the couple reconciled following Wynette’s 1973 divorce filing, prompted by Jones’ ongoing struggles with alcohol. Like many of their duets, “We’re Gonna Hold On” seemed to reflect their real-life relationship: passionate, complex, and often strained.
In an interview with Music City News, Jones admitted, “I was tired of waking up sick and having people talk about me – having my wife and children mad at me… I just looked at the situation and realized all the pain I was causing, and all the pain I was suffering wasn’t worth it. We love each other very much.”
Surprisingly, the song’s inspiration came from an unexpected source.
Co-written by Jones and longtime collaborator Earl Montgomery, the idea for “We’re Gonna Hold On” was born after a comical mishap at a Holiday Inn. According to biographer Bob Allen, Montgomery got drunk while on tour with the couple and accidentally charged all his drinks to Wynette’s hotel room. That awkward incident sparked the creation of what would become a country classic.
The lyrics speak to a resilient love:
“Some love lives, and some love don’t.
We’ve got the kind of love we want.
It brings us happiness all through the day.
Nothing can ever make it go away.
We’re gonna hold on… to each other.”
Montgomery’s misstep turned into a chart-topping song that became symbolic of Jones and Wynette’s commitment—at least for a time.
Despite their musical chemistry and brief reconciliation, their marriage continued to unravel. During their six years together—many of them during the peak of their careers—they toured in a bus emblazoned with the phrase “Mr. and Mrs. Country Music.” On stage, they were magic. “When we were on stage,” Jones later said, “we were in our own little heaven.”
But off stage, the reality was more painful. Wynette revealed that her initial divorce filing was an effort to get Jones to confront his drinking. Unfortunately, his addiction persisted. After one particularly heated argument about a missed recording session, Jones simply bought a Cadillac and drove to Florida.
Wynette filed for divorce again. “George is one of those people who can’t tolerate happiness,” she once explained. “If everything is right, there is something in him that makes him destroy it—and destroy me with it.” Their divorce was finalized in 1975.
Jones didn’t contest the split. “I let Tammy have everything—didn’t fight it,” he recalled. Wynette walked away with their house, their band, the tour bus, and custody of their daughter.
Still, “We’re Gonna Hold On” remains a poignant reminder of what once was—a moment when two of country music’s brightest stars believed their love could weather any storm.
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Lyrics
We’re gonna hold on
We’re gonna hold on
We’re gonna hold on to each other
Life can be rough, sometimes it’s kind
A real good life is hard to find
But the best love is the one we’ve known
And the faith we have between us makes it grow
Some love lives and some love don’t
We’ve got the kind of love we want
It brings us happiness all through the day
Nothing can ever make it go away
We’re gonna hold on
We’re gonna hold on
We’re gonna hold on to each other
Time will tell if your right or wrong
We know we’re right by holding on
And the future is set for you and me
Filled with love the way we both want it to be
We’re gonna hold on
We’re gonna hold on
We’re gonna hold on to each other
We’re gonna hold on
We’re gonna hold (we’re gonna hold on)
We’re gonna hold