🎵 Song Information:

  • Song Title: Check Yes or No

  • Artist: George Strait

  • Written by: Danny Wells & Dana Hunt Black

  • Album: Strait Out of the Box

  • Released: September 18, 1995

  • Genre: Country

  • Label: MCA Nashville

  • Chart Performance:

    • Reached #1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks

    • Stayed at the top for 4 consecutive weeks

  • Notable Facts:

    • The song was part of a box set rather than a standard studio album.

    • It won Single of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1996.

    • Despite its simplicity, it became one of Strait’s most beloved tracks.


💌 Song Meaning & Storyline:

Check Yes or No tells a heartwarming love story that began in childhood and grew stronger over time. The narrator looks back at a memory from grade school — a shy little girl passed him a handwritten note asking: “Do you love me? Do you want to be my friend?” with the options to check yes or no. That innocent moment becomes the foundation for a lifelong romance.

Years later, the narrator and the same girl are now married, and he reflects with gratitude on how a childhood crush turned into a lasting relationship. The song beautifully captures the purity and persistence of young love, emphasizing that sometimes the most meaningful relationships start with simple gestures. Its melody is gentle and nostalgic, creating a sense of timelessness.

What makes this song special is its relatability — many listeners recall their own childhood notes, first loves, or the simplicity of earlier times. The song feels both personal and universal, which explains its enduring popularity among fans across generations.


Explaining the Emotional Hook:

The most compelling part of Check Yes or No is its emotional hook — the idea that a life-changing relationship began with a simple, childish note. Why does this resonate so deeply with listeners?

Because it speaks to a universal human experience: the innocence of first love. Many people remember that first moment they dared to express affection, often in the form of a note, a glance, or a nervous question. The fact that the relationship in the song actually lasted from childhood through adulthood brings a dream-like quality to the narrative — something rare, but deeply wished for.

In a world where love can feel complex, digital, and fleeting, Check Yes or No reminds us that true love can be simple, handwritten, and lasting. It offers hope that love can still be genuine and that the strongest bonds are often built on sincerity, not grand gestures.

This contrast — between the innocent beginning and the mature result — is what keeps people emotionally connected to the song. It’s not just about romantic love, but also about timing, fate, and the beauty of growing old together with someone who once sat beside you in class.


📺 Watch the Music Video:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHxS8wlDngI


📝 Lyrics

It started way back in third gradeI used to sit beside Emmylou HayesA pink dress, a matching bow in her ponytailShe kissed me on the school bus but told me not to tellNext day I chased her ’round the playground‘Cross the monkey bars to the merry-go-roundAnd Emmylou got caught passing me a noteBefore the teacher took it I read what she wrote
“Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend?And if you doWell then don’t be afraid to take me by the handIf you want toI think this is how love goesCheck yes or no”
Now we’re grown up and she’s my wifeStill like two kids with stars in our eyesAin’t much changed, I still chase EmmylouUp and down the hall, around the bed in our room
Last night I took her out in a white limousineTwenty years together she still gets to meCan’t believe it’s been that long agoWhen we got started with just a little note
“Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend?And if you doWell then don’t be afraid to take me by the handIf you want toI think this is how love goesCheck yes or no”
“Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend?And if you doWell then don’t be afraid to take me by the handIf you want toI think this is how love goesCheck yes or no”
Check yes or noCheck yes or noCheck yes or noCheck yes or no