If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)

"If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" is a song written by Dave Berg, Sam Tate and Annie Tate, and recorded by American country music artist Rodney Atkins. It was released in January 2006 as the lead-off single to his second album If You're Going Through Hell. The song became a number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, spending four weeks at the top, in addition to reaching the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. "If You're Going Through Hell" was named the number-one song of 2006 on the Billboard's year-end chart.

Content

The title was inspired by two quotes: one from Winston Churchill ("If you're going through Hell, keep going.") and the other, an old Irish toast ("May you be in Heaven five minutes before the devil knows you're dead").^[1]

Music video

The music video was directed by Eric Welch. It starts out with Rodney Atkins's car tearing up, and he winds up walking on the road with a string of bad luck throughout the video, like losing his luggage when he throws it in the back of someone's car which winds up taking off on him. The video features Atkins's band and Atkins singing the song under an old gas station sign.

Chart performance

"If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" debuted at #53 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of January 21, 2006.

Chart (2006)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100^[2]	33
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[3]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)^[4]	1

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)^[5]	Platinum	1,000,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone

References

↑ Horner, Alanna (2006). "Story Behind the Song: "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)"". Country Weekly. 13 (19): 64. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
↑ "Rodney Atkins – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Rodney Atkins. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
↑ "Rodney Atkins – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Rodney Atkins. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
↑ "Best of 2006: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
↑ "American single certifications – Rodney Atkins – If You're Going Through Hell". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 31, 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "The World" by Brad Paisley	Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one single August 12-September 2, 2006	Succeeded by "Leave the Pieces" by The Wreckers
Preceded by "That's What I Love About Sunday" by Craig Morgan	Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one single of the year 2006	Succeeded by "Watching You" by Rodney Atkins

Rodney Atkins

Studio albums	Honesty If You're Going Through Hell It's America Take a Back Road

Compilations	Greatest Hits

Notable singles	"Sing Along" "My Old Man" "Honesty (Write Me a List)" "If You're Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows)" "Watching You" "These Are My People" "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" "Invisibly Shaken" "It's America" "15 Minutes" "Farmer's Daughter" "Take a Back Road" "He's Mine" "Just Wanna Rock N' Roll"

Related articles	Curb Records Discography Rose Falcon

Billboard Year-End Hot Country Songs number one single of the year

1980–1989	1980: "My Heart" – Ronnie Milsap 1981: "Fire and Smoke" – Earl Thomas Conley 1982: "Always on My Mind" – Willie Nelson 1983: "José Cuervo" – Shelly West 1984: "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" – Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson 1985: "Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)" – Ronnie Milsap 1986: "Never Be You" – Rosanne Cash 1987: "Give Me Wings" – Michael Johnson 1988: "Don't Close Your Eyes" – Keith Whitley 1989: "A Better Man" – Clint Black

1990–1999	1990: "Nobody's Home" – Clint Black 1991: "Don't Rock the Jukebox" – Alan Jackson 1992: "I Saw the Light" – Wynonna 1993: "Chattahoochee" – Alan Jackson 1994: "I Swear" – John Michael Montgomery 1995: "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" – John Michael Montgomery 1996: "My Maria" – Brooks & Dunn 1997: "It's Your Love" – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill 1998: "Just to See You Smile" – Tim McGraw 1999: "Amazed" – Lonestar

2000–2009	2000: "How Do You Like Me Now?!" – Toby Keith 2001: "Ain't Nothing 'bout You" – Brooks & Dunn 2002: "The Good Stuff" – Kenny Chesney 2003: "My Front Porch Looking In" – Lonestar 2004: "Live Like You Were Dying" – Tim McGraw 2005: "That's What I Love About Sunday" – Craig Morgan 2006: "If You're Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows)" – Rodney Atkins 2007: "Watching You" – Rodney Atkins 2008: "Just Got Started Lovin' You" – James Otto 2009: "I Run to You" – Lady Antebellum

2010–2019	2010: "Love Like Crazy" – Lee Brice 2011: "Crazy Girl" – Eli Young Band 2012: "Time Is Love" – Josh Turner 2013: "Cruise" – Florida Georgia Line 2014: "This Is How We Roll" – Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan 2015: "Take Your Time" – Sam Hunt

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