Growing up, her parents played songs by the Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, so her country rock roots started early, and she was already taking piano lesson before she turned seven. At age 11, she won a talent contest in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (home of Dolly Parton's resort "Dollywood"), singing "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." She subsequently found steady work performing in a theater in Pigeon Forge. A couple year later, her father gave Monroe her first guitar, and she began writing her own songs. But tragedy struck when her father died from cancer in 2000. While still grieving over their loss, Monroe and her mother continued on with their lives and moved to Nashville so she could pursue her career in music.
After a year in Nashville, she gained a publishing deal as a songwriter, which led to a record contract with Columbia Records' Nashville division. Working with producer Mark Wright, she recorded her debut album, Satisfied. In 2006, the title track to the album was released as the first single to country radio, but failed to crack the top 40 on the Hot Country Songs chart. A second single, "I Don't Want To" featuring Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, followed shortly after. Initially it did well on the charts, charting to #37, but following the merger of Columbia and Sony, the label decided not to release the album until Monroe charted a top 20 single. No follow-up singles were ever released. iTunes briefly made the album available for download in July 2006 but it was removed from the online store by mid-August.
In late 2007, Monroe and Columbia Records parted ways, and Satisfied was shelved (it was eventually released digitally in May of 2009). In addition to her own material, she co-wrote Katrina Elam's 2007 single "Flat on the Floor" (which was also recorded by Carrie Underwood on her 2007 album Carnival Ride), as well as Jason Aldean's 2009 single, "The Truth", and Miranda Lambert's 2011 single, "Heart Like Mine."
Monroe continued collaborating with Lambert, forming Pistol Annies with Lambert and Angaleena Presley in 2011. They released the single "Hell on Heels" in May of that year, following up with an album of the same name in August. Hell on Heels debuted at number 1 on Billboard's Country Album Chart and reached number 5 on the Billboard 200 Chart.
Monroe next teamed up with producer Vince Gill, and on March 5, 2013, Warner Nashville released Monroe's second studio album, Like A Rose.
I Don't Wanna Be
Ashley Monroe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Being tied down
And they're so unhappy
They say this married life
Is not for me
They say they'd give anything
To be livin' wild and free
Well I am
And I don't wanna be
They say their husbands don't mow the lawn
Until he's asked
And he doesn't ever offer anymore
To take out the trash
They say they'd rather be alone
Oh but if they were they'd see
'Cause I am
Oh yes I am
And I don't wanna be
They say the grass is always greener
On the other side
But if I had someone to love
Then I'd be satisfied
I would never take for granted
Something so hard to find
Someone in my life
So if you've got a good love tonight
Please don't let him go
Unless you are really prepared
To live life on your own
'Cause it hurts to be in bed at night
Holdin' onto nothin' but a dream
'Cause I am
Oh yes I am
And I don't wanna be
They say the grass is always greener
On the other side
But if I had someone to love
Then I'd be satisfied
I would never take for granted
Something so hard to find
Someone in my life
It hurts to be in bed at night
Holdin' onto nothin' but a dream
'Cause I am
Oh yes I am
And I don't wanna be
'Cause I am
Oh yes I am
And I don't wanna be
The lyrics of Ashley Monroe's song "I Don't Wanna Be" express the artist's resistance to marriage and commitment. The song speaks to those who feel pressured to conform to society's expectations of settling down and getting married, when they would rather live life on their own terms.
Monroe's lyrics contrast the opinions of those who are unhappy in their marriages, and view being single as the preferable and more liberated lifestyle. She highlights the small details that can make marriage unappealing, such as husbands not doing chores unless asked, and emphasizes her appreciation for the freedom that comes with being single.
The chorus of the song flips the script and acknowledges that while being alone may seem tempting, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Through this, Monroe suggests that if someone has a good love in their life, they shouldn't take it for granted and hold onto it tightly.
Overall, "I Don't Wanna Be" is an empowering anthem that encourages individuals to be true to themselves and their desires, rather than conforming to societal expectations that may not align with their personal values and aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone's talkin' about
Being tied down
And they're so unhappy
People constantly complain about feeling trapped in marriage or committed relationships, often citing unhappiness as the main cause.
They say this married life
Is not for me
They say they'd give anything
To be livin' wild and free
Those who are unhappy in their marriages frequently tell others that married life is not for them, longing for the freedom to live however they choose.
Well I am
Oh yes I am
And I don't wanna be
The singer, however, already lives a carefree, independent lifestyle and has no desire to be tied down in a committed relationship.
They say their husbands don't mow the lawn
Until he's asked
And he doesn't ever offer anymore
To take out the trash
People often complain about their spouse's lack of initiative or helpfulness around the house, leading them to feel frustrated and resentful.
They say they'd rather be alone
Oh but if they were they'd see
'Cause I am
Oh yes I am
And I don't wanna be
People often claim they'd rather be alone than in an unhappy relationship, but the artist already lives alone and experiences no loneliness, and still has no desire to be in a committed relationship.
They say the grass is always greener
On the other side
But if I had someone to love
Then I'd be satisfied
I would never take for granted
Something so hard to find
Someone in my life
Many believe that the single life must be unhappy and lonely, and assume that a relationship would solve all their problems. But the singer acknowledges that finding someone to love is difficult and not to be taken for granted.
So if you've got a good love tonight
Please don't let him go
Unless you are really prepared
To live life on your own
The singer advises those who have found love to hold on to it, warning that being alone is difficult and not to be taken lightly.
'Cause it hurts to be in bed at night
Holdin' onto nothin' but a dream
'Cause I am
Oh yes I am
And I don't wanna be
The artist knows firsthand the pain of going to bed alone and dreaming of someone to share their life with, but still has no desire to be tied down in a committed relationship.
Writer(s): SALLY BARRIS, ASHLEY MONROE
Contributed by Nathaniel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sheila Odom
She has one of the best voices in the industry. I don’t know why she seems to go unrecognized.
Jackie Pownell
Because she sounds like good country
She is sooo underrated
Gary Brummet
She is not a faux country pop tart.
Naomi Flores
This song is like impossible to find. I'm glad you uploaded it, because it's the song that I first heard from Ashley Monroe. Love it!
KellyClarksonFan13
Naomi Flores it's a amazing song :)
Toby Herro
I'd like to buy it but it's nowhere..
Starstrucknut
SoulCreation26 not with Ronnie Dunn it isn’t .
Cue Zephyr
I think your best bet is finding a CD, which is how I know this song in the first place.
Teal_Panda _84
Yeah I just looked on amazon music. Satisfied is there but this isn't but back In 2007 satisfied was hard to find lol
L H
She's such a great singer songwriter and has an amazing voice!