“There is No Arizona”
Jamie O’Neal
Written by Lisa Drew, Jamie O’Neal, and Shaye Smith
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
February 17, 2001
Jamie O’Neal’s debut single is a very cool record.
It blends the southern Gothic sounds of those classic Gentry and Tucker records with imagery of the American Southwest. O’Neal’s storytelling skills are sharp and she emotes effectively enough to make me hear shades of “Down From Dover” on this record.
At this point of the new century, it felt like the new artists who seemed poised for long careers would do so with a sophisticated blend of pop-country that innovated on traditional country sounds while grounding the material in more adult themes. O’Neal seemed perfectly positioned to be a leader on that front and give some gravitas to the catchy hooks that were dominating the pop and country airwaves at the time.
The genre ended up going in a very different direction, heavily influenced by a catastrophic event that is only a few months away.
Hearing it again today and thinking about those promises unfulfilled gives the song’s theme a bittersweet boost for me. I’ve always loved this record, but I’ve never felt it in my bones the way that I do now.
“There is No Arizona” gets an A.
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A fantastic song. Clever hook, great vocals, amazing production. This one captivated me from first listen. I fondly remember my mom, sister, and myself hearing it for the first time on a trip to Traverse City, and by the second chorus we were singing along. This is my favorite single of 2001.
I had totally forgot her and this song but what a great performance. I felt every word. It’s a shame country radio didn’t go in this direction. “A-“.
I agree with the sentiment here almost across the board. While I enjoyed this song plenty back in 2001, I also feel like I may have taken its excellence for granted because there was so much quality and potential out there at this snapshot in time. Listening again to the lyrics of “There is No Arizona”, it feels like we’re the narrator, enticed by the tease of an “Arizona” of better times and better music ahead but feeling disappointment and betrayal on the other side when the promise and potential was left unrealized. That might be a bit melodramatic, but it underscores how relatable this lyric is and how, with the help of a haunting vocal performance and an even more haunting musical arrangement, the song is able to serve as something of a white board for which the listener can impose their own nostalgia-unfulfilled “Arizona” upon.
An interesting anecdote I recall from this song is that, three years later, I occasionally watched an updated version of “Star Search” on CBS with Naomi Judd and Ben Stein as regular judges. I can’t remember who the other judge was and it may have rotated week to week. Aspiring country singer Rissi Palmer sang “There is No Arizona” and did a great job on it. Naomi Judd was vociferous with praise while Ben Stein gave more qualified praise saying he liked the performance but “didn’t consider that country”. I was impressed a few years later watching CMT and seeing none other than Rissi Palmer with a video for her first single, but–imagine that–she ended up being another in a long list of promising female newcomers chewed up and spit out by Nashville in the 2000s, a list that you could argue included Jamie O’Neal herself. To be fair though, O’Neal never had another single in the league of “There is No Arizona”.
Grade: A-
I agree that this is a great song. So well written and performed. I feel bad for her that there were so many starts and stops for her during her career. I think her voice and even her songs were just as strong as big voiced people like Martina McBride and Faith Hill. I think one of my favorite singles of hers is “Trying to Find Atlantis.” I remember rooting for it and hoping that it would do well on the charts, but it’s chart run was disappointing.
I also like “Trying To Find Atlantis.” I could have sworn it was a bigger hit because I remember it being a pretty popular song on the radio when it was out. But then I was shocked to find out it only peaked at 18 on Billboard. I agree with you on Jamie being able to hold her own with people like Martina and Faith when it comes to vocal talent. When Sara had Jamie on her podcast a while back, they were both observing the lack of female artists with “belting voices” in mainstream country today.
…..please tell me that was a different Ben Stein
I suspect it’s the Ben Stein you’re thinking of. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. “The Wonder Years”. “Win Ben Stein’s Money”. Somebody at CBS must have thought he’d be an excellent choice to stand in judgment of other people’s musical ambitions.
Still think this is her best single and the parent album was great as well (not as big as fan of her next Number One, but that’s for next time I guess). Strong, McBride-esque voice; kinda surprised she didn’t resonate more beyond that first album and the one or two singles from her second record.
I remember hearing this quite a lot on the radio during the late winter of 2001, and it seemed like Jamie was trying to maintain the same vibe that women had for most of the previous ten years into the new millennium. It’s catchy pop/country without being too terribly cloying.
On a more humorous note, to Jamie re. the title of the song: Don’t tell Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, or Steven Spielberg that there is no Arizona, because all three of them are from there (LOL).
I really liked this particular single and wound up purchasing the SHIVER album but other than this song and “When I Think About Angels” none of the other tracks struck me as good candidates for single release, although the title track was released as a single and did fairly well. “There is No Arizona” is a definite “A”
I am not sure why her career failed to sustain – I seem to recall an interview around 2003 in which she dialed back her career a little to start a family, but I may be mistaken.
The Australian takeover of country music was evident! Pretty neat to have back to back artists from down under topping the charts. Interestingly enough, while this is arguably Jamie’s signature song, I feel as if When I Think About Angels got more recurrent airplay, and that’s the song I think of when I think about her. Regardless, I do love the vibe of this song, and Jamie is a great emotive singer. I wish she had more sustained success.
Ahh, Jamie O’Neal. The first of the early 2000s women that I think deserved better from country radio.
Seems like we’re all in agreement on this one! I really miss this kind of mature, creative, sophisticated style of pop country. I wish so much that mainstream country had continued to go more in this direction instead of where it ended up going.
I also really love this song, and it’s definitely one of the coolest and most unique singles from the early 2000s. It certainly stood out for me right away when I first heard it. There was absolutely nothing that sounded like it on the radio at the time, and it was seemingly part of the next step in evolution for the late 90s/early 2000s pop country sound. I especially always loved the sound of that harmonica all throughout, which gave the song such a cool, certain sophisticated vibe that wasn’t heard too often in mainstream country. Seriously, the harmonica, along with the song’s haunting melody can get stuck in my head forever. I just love the overall flow of the record, as well, especially during the storytelling verses, which are delivered so smooth and effortlessly by Jamie. She also does a great job of sympathizing with the woman who’s been handed empty promises during the soaring choruses where she gets to let her vocal chops shine. I especially always liked the line: “If there was a Grand Canyon, she could fill it up with the lies he’s told her.” With the way it’s written, I like how “Arizona” can be a representation for any hope, promise, or dream that’s been broken or gone unfulfilled, making the song very relatable for many.
Despite some of the lyrics that paint a picture of beautiful southwestern scenery with “blue never ending skies,” “There Is No Arizona” was also such a perfect fit for country radio during the Fall and Winter months of late 2000 and early 2001. With the song’s sophisticated style featuring that cool harmonica, the catchy haunting melody, the laid back beat, and the warmth in Keith Stegall’s production, it also sounded great for taking a stroll/holiday shopping on nights with Christmas lights all around, or cozying up by the fire on a chilly night. I especially always get a “taking a stroll in the city at night” kind of vibe whenever I hear it. Speaking of the Christmas of 2000, I remember while we had the stereo on by the Christmas tree that afternoon, this was the first song that our station played when they stopped playing Christmas songs and went back to regular programming for the rest of the day. My dad, who was a big fan of the song at the time, was especially glad to hear it. He remained a fan of Jamie’s going into her second album era in the mid 2000s, as well.
I also remember hearing the song on my portable radio while we were staying at the Hampton Inn in York, PA around late 2000 one night while I was relaxing in the cozy breakfast/dining room and looking at the Christmas decorations while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.
My step dad liked the song, as well, and when he took me with him to Lowe’s one day in 2001, this was the song we heard coming from the speakers in the store when we arrived. He told me that one of the reasons he liked going there was that they played country music, lol. I also found out that one of the teachers I knew at school, Mr. Black, who helped me a lot with algebra, also worked there part time and it was pretty neat to see him again.
I always enjoyed seeing the “There Is No Arizona” video on GAC, as well, and I remember getting to see what Jamie looked like for the first time. I always loved her hair and bangs! And I especially always liked the part where the backdrop behind her comes down by the second chorus, revealing that the desert scenery in the beginning was just an illusion. Her walking through the city during the second half of the song is so fitting, both for the revelation that “There is no Arizona” and the contemporary style of the song. Btw, I’m surprised VEVO or UMG Nashville still hasn’t uploaded a higher quality version of the video to YouTube yet, especially for a video as recent as 2000-2001. I still appreciate the one we do have right now, though.
And I must say, I love how some of y’all are relating the song to the unfulfilled promises of mainstream country music during this time just before 9/11 happened (along with the happier times promised before then). Besides Jamie O’Neal bringing a fresh and interesting take on the pop country trend led by Shania and Faith, other female newcomers such as Cyndi Thomson, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, and Georgia Middleman also came out with very promising debut albums in 2001 that also put an interesting spin on early 2000s contemporary country (Not to mention, established artists like Terri Clark putting out some of their most adventurous work yet, as she did with 2000’s Fearless). When I listen to those debut releases from the women listed above, or pre 9/11 early 2000s country in general, it can be bittersweet sometimes because as much as I enjoy the music, it’s also sad thinking what could’ve been if only mainstream country had continued to go more in that kind of direction. I also love how there was still enough variety on the radio at the time with the said contemporary country being represented along with Strait, Jackson, Paisley, The Chicks, and others still keeping more traditional sounds alive, as well. It was nearly a perfect balance, imho.
Speaking of O’Neal’s debut album, Shiver, I just love its overall classy, smooth, and sophisticated approach to contemporary country. To me, it’s what more of modern mainstream country should still be like. Besides “..Arizona,” I also really love the title cut, which should’ve been a much bigger hit when it was a single in late 2001/early 2002. I especially always loved the steel guitar intro to that one! Other favorites of mine on the album include: “You Rescued Me,” “Sanctuary,” “Where We Belong,” “She Hasn’t Heard It Yet,” and “No More Protecting My Heart.” I also like the fun 2002 minor hit single, “Frantic,” even though I personally like things laid back more than frantic, lol.
I also love that her version of “All By Myself” got to be featured in the movie, Bridget Jones’s Diary (Starring Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant), which my parents and I saw in the Spring of 2001. I still picture Renee Zellweger lip syncing to it whenever I hear it, lol.
And just how cool was it that two Australians each got a number one single back to back? Again, it just shows once again how neat the variety was in mainstream country during this time. Although I do wish another one of my favorite Aussies in country, Sherrie Austin, also got to enjoy that same level of success as a recording artist. I still love her first two albums, with “One Solitary Tear” being my most favorite song of hers, especially.
Nice catch about two Aussies having back to back #1s. I vaguely recall hearing that Jamie O’Neal was from Australia but I’d forgotten it until now. Also love your call out to Sherrie Austin and especially “One Solitary Song” which I always thought was a grand slam. Of all of the 90s country singers whose failure to catch on caused the most head-scratching moments for me, Sherrie Austin is probably at the top of the list. Her “Words” album remains in the top tier of my CD collection.
So nice to see someone else share my enthusiasm for Sherrie Austin! She had such a cool, unique style, imo. I still remember vividly enjoying “One Solitary Tear” so much on the radio during the Fall of 1997 (I actually had it going through my head at times while my dad and I were watching the movie Starship Troopers in the theater). I’m still disappointed that it wasn’t a bigger hit. I also loved “Lucky In Love” from the Summer of ’97. And yes, I agree with you on the Words album!
I followed Sherrie Austin all the way up to Streets of Heaven. And Never Been Kissed is still an ideal country pop single.
An absolutely brilliant song through and through. Brilliant lyrics. Brilliant vocals. Brilliant production. Brilliant instrumentation. My chest still tightens with the shared sense of shame and humiliation at having believed at one time there was an Arizona. This song keeps devastating company in my mind with Matraca Berg’s “Lying to the Moon” and Tammy Cochran’s “White Lies and Picket Fences.”
This song might be my favourite of the decade.
Tammy Cochran’s “White Lies and Picket Fences”!!! Now you’re speaking my language!
Man, I loved Cochran’s first two (only two?) albums. Another fantastic singer who their label had no idea what to do with.
I only have her second one but it’s fantastic. I saw her in concert at my 2003 county fair where she sang some cuts from the new album. I decided then and there that I must own it. Would you say you preferred the second album or the first? I may seek out the first if you give it a strong enough recommendation.
I think her first one is a little more hard country; reminded me of Tammy Wynette or some of Lorrie Morgan’s “countrier” records. It’s as good as her first one so I would definitely recommend seeking it out.
*It’s as good as her second one (need to pay better attention when there’s no edit function available).
I would echo the sentiment that both albums are true pleasures and excellent listens.