The song's ambiguous lyrics may tell the old story about a man who goes out to a bar to forget the problems his marriage is facing. He is a man of few words – "you don't say nothing when you're feeling this way" – and rather than talk it over with his wife, he runs to the comfort he can find in a seedy dive. An alternative interpretation, which is more plausible given that the song has been described as semi-autobiographical, is that the song is about the woman, not the man, in a failing relationship. The tone of the woman's imaginary conversation with her lover reflects her conflicting feelings, running from mocking, to cautionary, to indignant, to longing. The song's title is a play on the phrase the seven-year itch, describing the period in a marriage or relationship when one or both partners begin to feel unhappy and unfulfilled within the relationship. The song is mid-tempo and features drum loops, synthesizers and a "canned" hand-clap effect at the start of the second verse. The canned hand-clapping was later re-used in Trisha Yearwood's 2001 cover, at Yearwood's insistence. The production gives the song an energetic feel that belies the bitterness and sorrow in the song's lyrics. The chorus is sung twice in the song, and goes as follows:
Cover versions
Since Cash's initial recording of the song, "Seven Year Ache" has been recorded by several artists working in the music industry. In 1989, Canadian singer Carole Laure recorded a version for her album released that year, Western Shadows. Twelve years later, American country artist Trisha Yearwood recorded a version for her 2001 album Inside Out that featured Cash herself singing background vocals. In 2017 the band, The Whiskey Gentry covered the song on their album Dead Ringer.
Commercial performance
"Seven Year Ache" was Cash's fourth-issued single and her first single released in 1981. Considered her breakthrough recording, the song became Cash's first No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart, while also crossing over onto the Billboard Pop ChartTop 30, peaking at No. 22. It was also a Top 10Adult contemporary hit, peaking at No. 6. The single was issued on Cash's second studio album, Seven Year Ache that year, which also produced the No. 1 hits, "My Baby Thinks He's a Train" and "Blue Moon with Heartache."
