Diva Spotlight: Jo Dee Messina

I grew up hearing Jo Dee Messina all over the radio, along with so many other badass '90s country women that my mom made sure I was exposed to. Her music is special to me nostalgically, of course, but it's also just good, solid country music from what I believe is a golden age of the genre. Messina's hits are honestly timeless and are fun, uplifting, and empowering.

As usual, here's the fact dump (information current as of March 2025):

-54 years old (she's a Virgo)

-Born in Framingham, Massachusetts

-Singer, songwriter

-Vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and trumpeter

-Primary genre is country

-Has won 5 total awards, including 1 ACM, 3 Billboards, and 1 CMA

-Has released 6 studio albums (1 holiday and 5 regular)

Like usual, we're going to focus on Messina's solo albums for this post, choosing our favorite three songs from each. Let's dive in!

Jo Dee Messina (1996)

Messina's debut country album was released March 26th, 1996 by Curb when she was 25 years old. With a run time of 36:02, the album had four singles released: Heads Carolina, Tails California (1/22/96); You're Not in Kansas Anymore (6/24/96); Do You Wanna Make Something of It (11/96); and He'd Never Seen Julie Cry (4/14/97). Jo Dee Messina peaked at #146 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. This album is a strong debut, not always vocally but definitely from a songwriting standpoint. It was a fun sort of time capsule to listen to, bringing me back to my childhood. Here's my Top 3 for this one:

Track 2: On a Wing and a Prayer (written by J. Messina, W. Aldridge)

I'd never heard this song before, but I definitely enjoyed it. She's had stronger vocals, sure, but overall it's a good track. It helps start the album out strong.

She sits in the dark, quietly cursing/Him and this love while she’s rehearsing/Every line she’s gonna say when she walks away/On a wing and a prayer/Looking back at her in the mirror’s a stranger/Years that have passed, how they seemed to change her/A woman once able to stand on her own now searches for strength to move on/On a wing and a prayer/On a wing and a prayer, she’s leaving tonight/Holding her heart in her hands/Somewhere out there, she knows that she’ll find/A love that understands/Why she left there on a wing and a prayer

Track 4: Do You Wanna Make Something of It (written by B. Di Piero, T. Anderson)

I'm not as familiar with this one as I am others, but I had a great time listening to it. It's classic Jo Dee Messina, strong and sure of itself. I definitely get why it was chosen as a single.

There’s a little bitty flame burning deep in my heart/You wanna make something of it/Oh, do you feel the same, maybe just a little spark/You wanna make something of it/Do you wanna turn it into something that’s a burning/Like a raging fire out of control/Well, I’m waiting for you, tell me what you wanna do/You wanna make something of it Track 6: Heads Carolina, Tails California (written by T. Nichols, M. Sanders)

This is absolutely THE Jo Dee Messina song, and a '90s Country Essential. I loved seeing a whole new generation discover it more recently when Cole Swindell released his She Had Me at Heads Carolina duet with her featured on it. It's an absolute banger it was chosen as a single.

I'm Alright (1998)

Messina's sophomore country album was released March 17th, 1998 by Curb when she was 27 years old. With a run time of 36:10, the album had five singles released: Bye Bye (1/5/98); I'm Alright (5/11/98); Stand Beside Me (10/12/98); Lesson In Leavin' (4/26/99); and Because You Love Me (10/25/99). I'm Alright peaked at #61 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. This is probably my favorite album of hers. It's a little less starry-eyed and a little more sassy, and there's a huge shift in the quality of her vocals. My Top 3 was a little more difficult here, but here we go:

Track 1: I'm Alright (written by P. Vassar)

This title track has long been a favorite of mine. It has such a positive message of reconnection, and can apply to a former romantic partner or platonic friend. Even if you're single, you can still be doing alright.

Well, it’s been a long time, glad to see your face/I knew we’d meet again, another time, another place/Can’t believe it’s been so many years/You’d better grab a chair and a couple of beers/Looking good in your three-piece suit/You know, I always knew you’d take the business route/You were always the one to follow the light/And you look like you’re doing alright, yeah/Been singing for my rent and singing for my supper/I’m above the below and below the upper/I’m stuck in the middle where money gets tight/But I guess I’m doing alright/I’m all, I’m all, I’m alright/It’s a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight, so I guess I’m doing alright/I’m all, I’m all, I’m alright/I got a good old friend here with me tonight, and I guess I’m doing alright

Track 5: Lesson In Leavin' (written by R. Goodrum, B. Maher)

This song just barely beat out Stand Beside Me. I love the groove, and I love the rhythm pattern the lyrics follow. It's a great Too Bad, So Sad anthem.

Somebody’s gonna give you a lesson in leaving, somebody’s gonna give you back what you’ve been giving/And I hope that I’m around to watch ‘em knock you down/It’s like you to love ‘em and leave ‘em just like you loved me and left me/It’s like you to do that sort of thing over and over again/You’re a fool-hearted man/I hear you’ve been asking about me from some of my friends/Well, you’d better believe I’m not going through that again/You’re the kind of man a woman thinks she can change/Oh, but the only thing changing is my way of thinking and I’m thinking that maybe someday

Track 6: Bye Bye (written by R. Bourke, P. Vassar)

Like I'm Alright, this has been a favorite for me for what feels like forever. It's so fun to listen to, sing, and play. It's an absolute Bye Felicia theme.

Boy, you sure look good there, standing in the doorway in the sunset light/Maybe I read you wrong, thinking you could be my Mr. Right/I was putting my heart and soul on the line, said you needed some time, just a little more time to make up your mind/Well, it’s been long enough, time is up/Bye bye, love, I’ll catch you later, got a lead foot down on my accelerator/And the rearview mirror torn off, I ain’t never looking back, and that’s a fact/I’ve tried all I can imagine, I’ve begged and pleaded in true lover’s fashion/I’ve got pride, I’m taking it for a ride, bye bye, bye bye, my baby, bye bye

Burn (2000)

Messina's third country album was released August 1st, 2000 by Curb when she was 29 years old. With a run time of 42:46, the album had five singles released: That's the Way (5/15/00); Burn (10/16/00); Downtime (4/9/01); Bring On the Rain (9/10/01); and Dare to Dream (5/11/02). Burn peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. This is a great album as well, mixing together that country sound with a little bit of rock. Messina's music does truly remind me of sunshine, and this album is another great example of that. My Top 3 was pretty clear here:

Track 1: Downtime (written by P. Coleman, C. Johnson)

I had honestly forgotten about this song until I started the album, and then it all came rushing back to me. Musical memories are seriously so powerful, and I vividly remembered being a kid and listening to this on the radio. It's another reminder that if you're in a down season, it's only temporary.

I haven’t been myself these days, according to friends/I tend to lose a part of me when my heart is on the mend/I’ll be alright, it’s safe to say/‘Cause just like your love, this is only a phase/Well, I’ve been down this road a time or two, it’s nothing new/Well, I’ll get on my feet and over you/I tell myself that everything will be just fine/Oh, I’m just going through a little downtime Track 2: That's the Way (written by A. Roboff, H. Lamar)

I forgot about this one too, oops. This album really does come out swinging with positive affirmations, and I love that for this time in music. It's happy, uplifting, and triumphant.

Everybody wants an easy ride on the merry-go-round that we call life/Take a drive on cruise control, then you wait to find it’s a winding road/I had my dreams in view when the money ran out and the engine blew/Hung my tears out to dry, then my dreams fell out of that clear blue sky/And I, I was walking the clouds, feeling so safe and sound/Something else knocks me down/Well, oh, that’s the way it is, you gotta roll with the punches/That’s the way it goes, you gotta bend when the wind blows/You live, you learn, you crash and burn/It’s hit or miss, and that’s the way it is

Track 11: Bring On the Rain with Tim McGraw (written by B. Montana, H. Darling)

I have never, and could never, forget about this song. It became an instant favorite the very first time I heard it, and still can make me tear up in a therapeutic way. It's honestly a wild coincidence that it released on the radio September 10th, 2001, considering what we'd all go through the very next day.

Another day has almost come and gone/Can’t imagine what else could go wrong/Sometimes, I’d like to hide away somewhere and lock the door/A single battle lost, but not the war/‘Cause tomorrow’s another day/And I’m thirsty anyway/So bring on the rain

Delicious Surprise (2005)

Messina's fifth country album was released April 26th, 2005 by Curb when she was 35 years old. With a run time of 43:58, the album had four singles released: My Give a Damn's Busted (1/3/05); Delicious Surprise (I Believe It) (6/20/05); Not Going Down (12/5/05); and It's Too Late to Worry (7/10/06). Delicious Surprise peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. I wanted to like this album more than I did because of how much I love My Give a Damn's Busted. This was the first album of hers where I really felt like everything sounded the same, and I just wasn't a fan. Here's my Top 3, though:

Track 1: Not Going Down (written by K. Savigar, S. Bolton)

This opening track did its job in the moment, starting off the album on a high note. A day or two removed from listening, though, and it sadly just wasn't super memorable. Again, like her other albums, it's a great message lyrically about not giving up.

I woke up today with a headache, more bills to pay than a corporation/Hey, when will it end/My mirror says I could use a break, an easy day, some appreciation/Hey, how ‘bout a friend/When days like these start to fall in on me/I gotta face my reflection and say, hey/Been turned by the fire, been stuck under water/Strung up on a wire and still the world goes around/Been tossed like a free throw, knocked out when the wind blows/Pull the curtain on the hurting 'cause I’m not going down

Track 6: My Give a Damn's Busted (written by T. Shapiro, J. Diffie, T. Martin)

This is probably my favorite Jo Dee Messina song, and it really does stand out on this album pretty significantly. I had no idea it was a Joe Diffie cover until a few years ago, but she definitely made this song her own. Sometimes, with so many people throughout our lives, we can just feel like busting out this phrase.

Well, you filled up my head with so many lies/You twisted my heart ’til something snapped inside/I’d like to give it one more try, but my give a damn’s busted/You can crawl back home, say you were wrong/Stand out in the yard and cry all night long/Go ahead and water the lawn, my give a damn’s busted/I really want to care/I want to feel something/Let me dig a little deeper/Naw, sorry, nothing

Track 7: It's Too Late to Worry (written by D. Wells, R. Harbin, A. Smith)

This is a good storytelling song, fitting in with others of the time like Rascal Flatts' Fast Cars and Freedom. It's fun and carefree, and great for a middle of the album track. Also, I drove a Mustang in my early twenties, so I'm a little biased.

Billy Joe had a bumper sticker on the back of his beat up Chevrolet/Said, "This truck eats Fords for lunch," so I pulled up beside him in my new Mustang/I was just getting ready to say, "Boy, that truck’s seen its last meal"/But I was wanting to climb in that Chevy when I saw what was sitting behind that wheel/Morning sun found a new Mustang abandoned in a Walmart parking lot/Note on the seat said, "Don’t tow me away"/Didn’t stop the gossip tongues from wagging ’til next day somewhere around three o’clock/No telling what they’re talking about, what’s going ‘round, it’s too late to worry about that now

Me (2014)

Messina's sixth and most recent country album was released March 18th, 2014 by Dreambound when she was 43 years old. With a run time of 42:02, the album had three singles released: Peace Sign(8/23/13); A Woman's Rant (2/24/14); and He's Messed Up (10/27/14). Me peaked at #156 on the Billboard 200 and was completely crowd funded by a Kickstarter campaign. This felt like a return to form for Messina and was a refreshingly satisfying blend of her original country sound and the rock sound she cultivated later on. Admittedly when I saw Kickstarter was involved I was a tiny bit worried, but I ended up enjoying myself. Here's my final Top 3 for this post:

Track 1: Not Dead Yet (written by A. Bonagura, J. Messina)

It's official, I only didn't choose Track 1 on one whole album for this post. This one hit a little different, knowing about Messina's cancer diagnosis three years after this released and also having walked alongside some of my own people with cancer. It's a solid reminder to not give up on yourself.

If I believe what you’ve been saying, I’d have one foot in the grave/All my dreams would be forsaken and I won’t throw them away, no, no/You’re the one who stopped believing while I’m still in the chase/You shattered my feelings, but you won’t shatter my faith, no, no, no, no, no/You can put me down, you can count me out, I’m not listening to you/I’ve paid my dues, gotten bent and bruised, I’ve walked a thousand miles in these shoes/I’m here and I’m well, I’ve felt the fire, I’ve been through hell/I’m a little out of breath, but baby, I’m not dead yet

Track 5: Peace Sign (written by A. Dalley, T. Hayes, S. Leger)

This felt like a modern spin off of Bye Bye, and I was all about it. I've watched a few of my people walk through this type of situation, too, and have been so proud of how they brushed themselves off and kept going. It's not the end of the road, it's just a speedbump.

I wouldn’t call it a breakup, I hate to say it out loud, but I was just dumb/I thought we had something special, just last night, I used the word love/He started his email with, "I’ve got a few things to say/We’re just not good together, take care and have a good day," okay/If that’s the way you wanna do it, if that’s the way you wanna walk away/I’m not coming undone/I’ve got nothing but love, you put the F-U in fun, it’s all good/I’m not trying to fight, I’m not wasting my time/I’m just saying goodbye one finger shy of a peace sign Track 8: A Woman's Rant (written by J. Messina)

This one was giving some Gretchen Wilson vibes, and I thought it was great. Every woman has felt some version of this song at some point, and sometimes it's therapeutic to rant about the frustration and then move on. It's a lot, but I know I wouldn't give it up.

6 AM, I’m out of bed, I stumble through the haze/Ain’t got no coffee strong enough to get me through my day/One thing to another, there’s no time to stop/I hit the ground a-running and keep running ’til I drop/I’m taking care of everyone, oh, my head’s in a spin/I tried, but I just don’t remember signing up for this/Before I leave the house, I pack a diaper bag with clothes and snacks/Laptop, cell phone, find my keys, feed the dogs before I leave/Everybody’s needs are my responsibility/It sure'd be nice to have somebody taking care of me, yeah/Why, why, why, why/When I’m through with this life/I am gonna have a come to Jesus, you can guarantee/When I walk through those pearly gates, I am gonna have a talk with Eve

I hope you had as much fun exploring this discography as I did. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!