In 1990, George Strait stepped outside his usual calm signature and dropped a fiery, uncharacteristically angry track — and it dominated the chart for five weeks. ML
On October 22 in 1990, George Strait released “I’ve Come to Expect It from You” as the third and final single from his 1990 album Livin’ It Up. Later that year, the song became his 20th No. 1, taking him a step closer to breaking a longstanding chart record.
Before “I’ve Come to Expect It from You,” Strait released several heartbreak songs. Hits like “You Look So Good in Love,” “The Cowboy Rides Away,” “Amarillo by Morning,” and “Fool Hearted Memory” saw him either taking responsibility for the end of a relationship, wishing his ex the best, or licking his emotional wounds. As a result, this single stands out from the rest.
The song starts with the protagonist nursing a broken heart by chainsmoking, crying, and cracking jokes about his pain. Then, the chorus comes in, showing the song’s true spirit. He asks how she could “go and do” what she did to him. He then says he’d treat a dog better than his ex treated him.
Later in the song, though, he points out that her poor treatment of him was par for the course. “A million lines, a million times, and I’ve bought ‘em, every one,” he says. This lines up with the final lines of the chorus: But that’s what I get / I’ve come to expect it from you.
In the end, he decides the relationship isn’t worth fighting for. Instead, he leaves while she’s out. You’ll come back this time to find out that I’m gone / But that’s what you get / You should expect that from me.
George Strait Gets Closer to the Throne
Today, George Strait is hailed as the King of Country Music. While it’s true that, in the eyes of many fans, he earned that title early in his career, he didn’t have the numbers to back it up until 2006.
Before Strait, Conway Twitty was the reigning king. He scored 40 No. 1 singles over the course of his career, more than any other artist in the genre. Strait broke that record in 2006 when “Give It Away” went to the top of the Hot Country Songs chart, giving him a total of 41 No. 1 singles on the chart.
When “I’ve Come to Expect It from You” reached No. 1 in December 1990, it marked the halfway point to the major career milestone.
