"Unanswered Prayers" is a song by American country music artist Garth Brooks which hit No. 1 on Billboards Hot Country Songs chart in 1991. It was released on October 12, 1990, as the second single from his album No Fences and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, Double Live and The Ultimate Hits. It was written by Brooks, Pat Alger and Larry Bastian.
The song is one of Brooks' most popular recordings, and is one of the key tracks that helped his No Fences album stay on the top of the charts for months (the album spent over 30 weeks at number 1 on Billboards Country Charts). It also became his first single to be released outside of country radio, being sent to adult contemporary stations on November 12, 1990.
Content A man runs into his high school sweetheart at a football game in their hometown. As he introduces her to his wife, he reminisces about that past relationship and how he had once prayed so fervently that this girl would be his significant other forever. Both he and the ex-girlfriend, by this point, no longer see each other in the same way, as "time had changed" both of them, and neither can remember their relationship well. As he turns to his wife, he thanks God for not answering his original prayer, showing better judgement, and instead putting him with a better woman, whom he sees as one of the blessings in his life. The chorus advises the listener that, if God is not answering his or her prayers, that "just because He doesn't answer doesn't mean He don't (sic) care," and that unanswered prayers are "some of God's greatest gifts."
Background and production According to Brooks, the song is based on a true story:
Brooks provided the following background information on the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits:
Chart positions Chart (1990–1991)Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1991)Position Canada Country Tracks (RPM) 32 US Country Songs (Billboard) 9
Other versions Pat Alger, a co-writer of the song, recorded his own version of "Unanswered Prayers" in 1994. It was included as the closing track on his album Seeds. Singer Joey Sontz recorded "Unanswered Prayers" for his debut album Chasing The Dream in 2012. Ryan Kelly of Celtic Thunder recorded a cover of this song on Celtic Thunder's 2017 studio album Inspirational.
Adaptations A television film based on the song starring Eric Close and Samantha Mathis was broadcast on Lifetime TV in 2010.Garth Brooks song 'Unanswered Prayers' to become Lifetime movie
References