Cyndi Thomson is back with new music for the first time in more than 20 years, and she's offering fans a new interpretation of one of her biggest hits, "Life Ain't Always Beautiful."

Here's the twist: Although Thomson wrote the song, she's not the artist who made it famous. Gary Allan was the first country artist to record the song, scoring a No. 4 hit in 2006.

Who Wrote "Life Ain't Always Beautiful"?

Thomson wrote the song with her longtime writing partner, Tommy Lee James.

What Inspired "Life Ain't Always Beautiful"?

Thomson tells Taste of Country that she was in her car on the way to a writing appointment with James when the title came to her.

"I was listening to country radio, and there was this really happy love song on," she relates. "And I just went, 'Hmmm, I don't know if

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