Jamie O’Neal Remembers Fight for ‘There Is No Arizona,’ 25 Years Later [Exclusive Premiere]]

It's true! Jamie O'Neal's signature song "There Is No Arizona" had some doubters. In fact, she might have started her career with a different song if not for one champion of this 2000 breakup ballad.

This Friday (Sept. 12), O'Neal will release a re-recording of "There is No Arizona" that Taste of Country is proud to premiere here. Vocally, the two versions are remarkably similar, which speaks to how the early '00s hitmaker has worked hard to preserve her voice.

Lyrically, the song still works as well. "There Is No Arizona" is country music's original catfish warning, inspired by a very famous author and his very famous book-turned-movie, but driven by the men who led her along before she got married.

• "There Is No Arizona" was O'Neal's first release from her Shiver album.
• The No. 1 hit was followed by another No. 1 single, "When I Think About Angels."
• This 25th anniversary release will be followed by more original music planned for the fall and early 2026.

Related: The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years

Lisa Drew and Shaye Smith co-write "There Is No Arizona" with O'Neal. For months afterward the singer says she couldn't get the story and melody out of her head. She was excited!

“And scared at the same time because a lot of people ... they would say ‘Oh, that’s really risky,'" she tells Taste of Country.

The doubts were over a "jazzy" arrangement, but when viewed through a modern lens it's also easy to wonder if listeners would give her story the time needed to appreciate the message.

For that, O'Neal had author Stephen King's (unwitting) help. A popular book/movie called Dolores Claiborne found a young woman lying about a job before eventually admitting there was no Arizona, as in there was no job in that state.

"We were like, how do we turn this into a heartbreak song?" she shares.

Keith Stegall produced the song. He was the one bull-headed enough to insist on it being the debut single, doubters be damned. It paid off, obviously.

In 2025, the oft-covered song remains popular at country radio and a must-hear for fans at live shows. From time to time, O'Neal will be out running errands or driving around when the familiar guitar plucking, humming and harmonica begin.

"It takes me back to the feeling of being a new artist and being fresh-eyed," she shares, smiling, from a hotel room in Arizona, where she's set to perform later that night. "And also just feeling the gift of they’re still playing it."

This new version is a gift for a gift.