When You Say Nothing at All - wikipedia When You Say Nothing at All `` When You Say Nothing at All '' Single by Keith Whitley from the album Do n't Close Your Eyes B - side `` Lucky Dog '' Released August 1988 Format 7 '' vinyl Recorded Genre Country Length 3 : 40 Label RCA Nashville Songwriter ( s ) Paul Overstreet Don Schlitz Producer ( s ) Garth Fundis, Keith Whitley Keith Whitley singles chronology `` Do n't Close Your Eyes '' ( 1988 ) `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( 1988 ) `` I 'm No Stranger to the Rain '' ( 1989 ) `` Do n't Close Your Eyes '' ( 1988 ) `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( 1988 ) `` I 'm No Stranger to the Rain '' ( 1989 ) `` When You Say Nothing at All '' is a country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. It is among the best - known hit songs for three different performers : Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on December 24, 1988 ; Alison Krauss, whose version was her first solo top - 10 country hit in 1995 ; and Irish pop singer Ronan Keating, whose version was his first solo single and a chart - topper in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 1999. Contents 1 Origin 2 Keith Whitley 2.1 Chart performance 3 Alison Krauss version 3.1 Track listing 3.2 Chart performance 3.3 Year - end charts 4 Ronan Keating version 4.1 Track listing 4.2 Charts and certifications 4.2. 1 Weekly charts 4.2. 2 Year - end charts 4.2. 3 Certifications 5 Other covers 6 References 7 External links Origin Overstreet and Schlitz came up with `` When You Say Nothing at All '' at the end of an otherwise unproductive day. Strumming a guitar, trying to write their next song, they were coming up empty. `` As we tried to find another way to say nothing, we came up with the song, '' Overstreet later told author Ace Collins. They thought the song was OK, but nothing special. When Keith Whitley heard it, he loved it, and was not going to let it get away. Earlier, he had recorded another Overstreet - Schlitz composition that became a No. 1 hit for another artist - Randy Travis ' `` On the Other Hand. '' Whitley did not plan to let `` When You Say Nothing at All '' meet the same fate. Keith Whitley RCA released `` When You Say Nothing at All '' as the follow - up single to the title song of Whitley 's Do n't Close Your Eyes album. The former song already had hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, his first chart - topper after three prior singles made the top 10. `` When You Say Nothing at All '' entered the Hot Country Singles chart on September 17, 1988, at No. 61, and gradually rose to the top, where it stayed for two weeks at the end of the year. It was the second of five consecutive chart - topping singles for Whitley, who did not live to see the last two, as he died on May 9, 1989 of alcohol poisoning. `` Keith did a great job singin ' that song, '' co-composer Schlitz told author Tom Roland. `` He truly sang it from the heart. '' In 2004, Whitley 's original was ranked 12th among CMT 's 100 Greatest Love Songs. It was sung by Sara Evans on the show. As of February 2015, the song has sold 599,000 digital copies in the US after it became available for download. Chart performance Chart ( 1988 ) Peak position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) Canadian RPM Country Tracks Alison Krauss version `` When You Say Nothing at All '' Single by Alison Krauss & Union Station from the album Keith Whitley : A Tribute Album & Now That I 've Found You : A Collection B - side `` Charlotte 's in North Carolina '' by Keith Whitley Released 1995 Format 7 '' vinyl single Genre Country Length 4 : 20 Label BNA Songwriter ( s ) Paul Overstreet Don Schlitz Producer ( s ) Randy Scruggs Alison Krauss & Union Station singles chronology `` Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart '' ( 1995 ) `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( 1995 ) `` Baby Now That I 've Found You '' ( 1995 ) `` Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart '' ( 1995 ) `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( 1995 ) `` Baby Now That I 've Found You '' ( 1995 ) In 1995, Alison Krauss covered the song with the group Union Station for a tribute album to Whitley titled Keith Whitley : A Tribute Album. The single release featured `` Charlotte 's in North Carolina, '' one of several previously - unreleased tracks sung by Whitley on the album, as the B - side. After Krauss 's cover began to receive unsolicited airplay, BNA Records, the label that had released the album, issued Krauss ' version to radio in January 1995. That version, also featured on Krauss ' compilation Now That I 've Found You : A Collection, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and a commercial single reached No. 2 on the same magazine 's Hot Country Singles Sales chart. The single 's B - side was a previously unreleased Whitley song titled `` Charlotte 's in North Carolina '', which also appeared on the tribute album. Its success, as well as that of the album, caught Krauss by surprise. `` It 's a freak thing, '' she told a Los Angeles Times reporter in March 1995. `` It 's kinda ticklin ' us all. We have n't had anything really chart before. At all. Is n't it funny though ? We do n't know what 's goin ' on... The office said, ' Hey, it 's charting, ' and we 're like, ' Huh ? ' '' While Krauss ' version was on the charts, Mike Cromwell, then the production director at WMIL - FM in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, concocted a duet merging elements of Krauss ' version with Whitley 's original hit version. The `` duet '' garnered national attention, and it spread from at least Philadelphia to Albuquerque, and has been heard on radio stations in California as well. This `` duet '' was however never officially serviced to radio and has never been available commercially. Krauss ' recording won the 1995 CMA award for `` Single of the Year ''. The song has been featured a couple of times in the soap opera The Young and the Restless. Krauss ' version was also used in the 1999 motion picture `` The Other Sister ''. The song has sold 468,000 digital downloads as of May 2017. Track listing `` When You Say Nothing at All '' `` Charlotte 's In North Carolina '' Chart performance Chart ( 1995 ) Peak position Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) 7 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 91 US Billboard Hot 100 53 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) Year - end charts Chart ( 1995 ) Position Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) 99 Ronan Keating version `` When You Say Nothing at All '' Single by Ronan Keating from the album Ronan, Notting Hill and By Request Released July 26, 1999 Format CD single, cassette single Recorded 1999 ; Metropolis and the Aquarium ( London, United Kingdom ) Genre Soft rock Length 4 : 18 Label Polydor Songwriter ( s ) Paul Overstreet Don Schlitz Producer ( s ) Stephen Lipson Ronan Keating singles chronology `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( 1999 ) `` Life Is a Rollercoaster '' ( 2000 ) `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( 1999 ) `` Life Is a Rollercoaster '' ( 2000 ) `` When You Say Nothing at All '' was released as the debut solo single by Irish singer - songwriter Ronan Keating. The song was recorded in 1999 for the soundtrack to the film Notting Hill and also appeared on Keating 's debut solo album, Ronan. The song was released on July 26, 1999, in the United Kingdom. It peaked at number one in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. In the UK, the single was certified gold. In 2003, Keating re-recorded the song as a duet with Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, which was released in Mexico and Latin America ( excluding Brazil ) to promote Keating 's second studio album, Destination. In Brazil, Ronan chose the Brazilian singer Deborah Blando to re-record the song for the 10 Years Of Hits album exclusive for that country ( an exclusive music video was recorded for this version with Deborah ). Track listing UK CD single # 1 `` When You Say Nothing at All '' -- 4 : 18 `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( acoustic version ) -- 3 : 30 `` This Is Your Song '' -- 4 : 03 `` When You Say Nothing at All '' ( music video ) -- 4 : 25 UK CD single # 2 `` When You Say Nothing At All '' -- 4 : 18 `` At The End Of A Perfect Day '' -- 4 : 37 `` I Will Miss You '' -- 3 : 05 UK Cassette single `` When You Say Nothing at All '' -- 4 : 18 `` This Is Your Song '' -- 4 : 03 Charts and certifications Weekly charts Chart ( 1999 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 5 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Wallonia ) 38 Denmark ( IFPI ) 6 Finland ( Suomen virallinen lista ) 5 France ( SNEP ) 41 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 6 Ireland ( IRMA ) Italy ( FIMI ) 6 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 5 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) Norway ( VG - lista ) 5 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Year - end charts Chart ( 1999 ) Position New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 5 Certifications Country Certifications Australia Platinum Norway Gold United Kingdom Platinum Other covers The Italian - Ukrainian - Brazilian singer Deborah Blando recorded `` When You Say Nothing at All '' in English and Portuguese for the Brazilian version of the song, which featured on the Brazilian version of Destination. The single reached the top 10 in the Latin charts. Burmese singer Zaw Paing also made a Burmese version cover. References ^ Jump up to : Collins, Ace ( 1996 ). The Stories Behind Country Music 's All - Time Greatest 100 Songs. New York : Boulevard. p. 268. ISBN 1 - 57297 - 072 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Roland, Tom ( 1991 ). The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits. New York : Billboard. p. 539. ISBN 0 - 8230 - 7553 - 2. ^ Jump up to : Whitburn, Joel ( 2005 ). Top Country Songs 1944 - 2005. Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research. p. 416. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 165 - 9. Jump up ^ CMT. `` 100 Greatest Love Songs ''. Retrieved 2007 - 05 - 22. Jump up ^ Matt Bjorke ( February 19, 2015 ). `` Country Music 's Top 30 Digital Singles : Week of February 19, 2015 ''. Roughstock. Jump up ^ `` Keith Whitley Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2011. Jump up ^ Horak, Terri ( 1995 - 01 - 21 ). `` Rounder Goes All Out for Grammy - Nominated Krauss ''. Billboard. Accessed via ProQuest. Jump up ^ Cromelin, Richard ( 1995 - 03 - 25 ). `` A Hit from Country 's Kinfolk / Bluegrass 's most prominent figure makes her way into country music 's Top 10. Even Alison Krauss ca n't explain it ''. Los Angeles Times. p. F1. Accessed via ProQuest. Jump up ^ Cave, Kathy ( 1995 - 05 - 05 ). `` Whitley, Krauss blend grabs national attention ''. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. B8. Accessed via ProQuest. Jump up ^ Bjorke, Matt ( May 3, 2017 ). `` Top 30 Digital Singles Sales Report : May 3, 2017 ''. Roughstock. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Country Tracks : Issue 9199. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 19, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Alison Krauss : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 22, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Alison Krauss Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Alison Krauss Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2011. Jump up ^ `` RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995 ''. RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All '' ( in French ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ Billboard. Billboard September 25, 1999. Billboard. Retrieved 2010 - 11 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Ronan Keating : When You Say Nothing At All '' ( in Finnish ). Musiikkituottajat -- IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2010 - 11 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- KEATING, RONAN Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2010 - 11 - 28. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts - All there is to know ''. Irish Recorded Music Association. Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 28 November 2010. Jump up ^ `` Italiancharts.com -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All ''. Top Digital Download. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Ronan Keating '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All ''. VG - lista. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All ''. Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Ronan Keating -- When You Say Nothing At All ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` End of Year Charts 1999 ''. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 4, 2017. Jump up ^ `` ARIA Charts -- Accreditations -- 1999 Singles ''. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2010 - 11 - 28. Jump up ^ `` IFPI Norsk platebransje -- Trofeer '' ( in Norwegian ). IFPI Norway. 1999. Retrieved 2010 - 11 - 28. Jump up ^ `` British Phonographic Industry ''. British Phonographic Industry. 1999 - 07 - 30. Retrieved 2010 - 11 - 28. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` A Tender Lie '' by Restless Heart Billboard Hot Country Singles number - one single ( Keith Whitley ) December 24, 1988 -- December 31, 1988 Succeeded by `` Hold Me '' by K.T. Oslin Preceded by `` Livin ' la Vida Loca '' by Ricky Martin UK Singles Chart number one single ( Ronan Keating ) August 1, 1999 -- August 14, 1999 Succeeded by `` If I Let You Go '' by Westlife Keith Whitley Studio albums A Hard Act to Follow L.A. to Miami Do n't Close Your Eyes I Wonder Do You Think of Me Kentucky Bluebird Wherever You Are Tonight Compilation albums Greatest Hits Notable singles `` Miami, My Amy '' `` Ten Feet Away '' `` Homecoming ' 63 '' `` Hard Livin ' '' `` Some Old Side Road '' `` Do n't Close Your Eyes '' `` When You Say Nothing at All '' `` I 'm No Stranger to the Rain '' `` I Wonder Do You Think of Me '' `` It Ai n't Nothin ' '' `` I 'm Over You '' `` ' Til a Tear Becomes a Rose '' ( with Lorrie Morgan ) `` Brotherly Love '' ( with Earl Thomas Conley ) `` Somebody 's Doin ' Me Right '' Related articles `` Hopelessly Yours '' Keith Whitley : A Tribute Album Alison Krauss & Union Station Alison Krauss Barry Bales Ron Block Jerry Douglas Dan Tyminski John Pennell Jeff White Brent Truitt Mike Harman Adam Steffey Tim Stafford Studio albums Different Strokes Too Late to Cry Two Highways I 've Got That Old Feeling Every Time You Say Goodbye I Know Who Holds Tomorrow So Long So Wrong Forget About It New Favorite Lonely Runs Both Ways Paper Airplane Windy City Compilation albums Now That I 've Found You : A Collection Live A Hundred Miles or More : A Collection Essential Alison Krauss With Robert Plant Raising Sand Singles `` When You Say Nothing at All '' `` Baby Now That I 've Found You '' `` Baby Mine '' `` The Lucky One '' `` Missing You '' `` Please Read the Letter '' `` Rich Woman '' Featured singles `` Teach Your Children '' `` Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart '' `` It 's Not Over '' `` Buy Me a Rose '' `` Whiskey Lullaby '' Related articles Discography Awards and nominations Alison Brown Robert Plant Viktor Krauss Up ! Close and Personal Ronan Keating Studio albums Ronan ( 2000 ) Destination ( 2002 ) Turn It On ( 2003 ) Bring You Home ( 2006 ) Fires ( 2012 ) Time of My Life ( 2016 ) Cover albums Songs for My Mother ( 2009 ) Winter Songs ( 2009 ) Duet ( 2010 ) When Ronan Met Burt ( 2011 ) Compilation albums 10 Years of Hits ( 2004 ) Singles `` When You Say Nothing at All '' `` Life Is a Rollercoaster '' `` The Way You Make Me Feel '' `` In This Life '' `` Lovin ' Each Day '' `` If Tomorrow Never Comes '' `` I Love It When We Do '' `` We 've Got Tonight '' `` The Long Goodbye '' `` Lost for Words '' `` She Believes ( In Me ) '' `` Last Thing on My Mind '' `` I Hope You Dance '' `` Father and Son '' `` Baby Can I Hold You '' `` All Over Again '' `` Iris '' `` Time After Time '' `` This Is Your Song '' `` Stay '' `` It 's Only Christmas '' `` Believe Again '' `` What The World Needs Now '' `` Fires '' `` Wasted Light '' Related articles Discography Boyzone Paulina Rubio Studio albums La Chica Dorada 24 Kilates El Tiempo Es Oro Planeta Paulina Paulina Border Girl Pau - Latina Ananda Gran City Pop Brava ! Compilation albums Top Hits I 'm So in Love : Grandes Exitos Mio : Paulina Y Sus Éxitos Paulina Remixes Celebridades Pau Factor Extended plays Gran City Pop : The Remixes Television Pobre Niña Rica La Voz... México La voz kids The X Factor Jane the Virgin La Apuesta Concerns and Tours Paulina Tour Pau - Latina Tour Amor, Luz y Sonido Tour Gran City Pop Tour Brava ! World Tour PauRubio Tour Related articles Discography Awards Timbiriche Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=When_You_Say_Nothing_at_All&oldid=817736220 '' Categories : 1988 singles 1995 singles 1999 singles Alison Krauss & Union Station songs Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles 1988 songs Keith Whitley songs Number - one singles in Italy Irish Singles Chart number - one singles Number - one singles in New Zealand UK Singles Chart number - one singles Paulina Rubio songs Ronan Keating songs Songs written by Don Schlitz Songs written by Paul Overstreet Boyzone songs Song recordings produced by Garth Fundis Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson RCA Records singles Polydor Records singles Pop ballads Music videos directed by Xavier Gens Country ballads Hidden categories : CS1 Norwegian - language sources ( no ) Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Canadacountry Singlechart called without artist Singlechart used with UKchartstats that can not be substituted Singlechart usages for UKchartstats Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014 Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Wallonia Singlechart usages for Finland Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany Singlechart usages for Italy Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UK Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Italiano Kiswahili Nederlands Português Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 30 December 2017, at 07 : 37. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the country song when you say nothing at all
Answer: Paul Overstreet