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 Want To
Ashley Monroe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It wouldn't be wrong, no it wouldn't be wrong
'Cause it ain't no crime no felony
There ain't no chains here holdin' me down, holdin' me down.
There ain't no place here on this earth I'd rather be
So why would I leave
I could want somebody else
I could love somebody other than you but I don't want to
There's no good out there for me now
There's nothing I can't do without
I can't live without
You make me feel like heavens pourin' down on me
I know I'm free
I could want somebody else
I could need somebody else
I could love somebody other than you but I don't want to
I could dream somebody else
Be treated like a queen by someone else
I could love somebody other than you but I don't want to
(I don't want you to leave)
I could want somebody else
I could need somebody else
I could love somebody other than you but I don't want to
I could dream somebody else
Be treated like a queen by someone else
I could love somebody other than you but I don't want to
I don't want to (I don't want to)
I don't want to (Oh I, Oh I)
I don't want to
The lyrics in Ashley Monroe's "I Don't Want To" explore the concept of staying faithful in a relationship not because it's the right thing to do, but because the singer genuinely does not want anyone else but her significant other. The song opens with the singer acknowledging that she could willingly go out and find a stranger for a night, but she does not want to. She is not held down by chains or any kind of obligation, she simply chooses to stay with her partner. The second verse continues this idea, with the singer strongly stating that she does not "want somebody else, need somebody else, [or] love somebody other than" her current partner.
The chorus of the song is a repetition of the same sentiment, with the singer stating that while she could theoretically love someone else, she does not want to because she has everything that she needs with her current partner. The pre-chorus describes how the singer feels like heaven is pouring down on her when she is with her partner, indicating a kind of divine connection or love that is unexplainable. The song ends with a plea for the singer's partner not to leave or be tempted by someone else, reiterating how much she does not want anyone else.
Overall, the lyrics in "I Don't Want To" capture the idea of being content in a relationship, not necessarily because it's easy, but because one genuinely does not want anyone else. It speaks to a kind of commitment and loyalty that is founded in deep feelings of love and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I could go out tonight and find some stranger,
I have the option to go out and seek the company of a stranger tonight.
It wouldn't be wrong, no it wouldn't be wrong
There would be no moral wrongdoing if I choose to go out with someone else.
'Cause it ain't no crime no felony
There's no legal law against me exploring other options.
There ain't no chains here holdin' me down, holdin' me down.
I am not restrained or bound to a certain way of life.
There ain't no place here on this earth I'd rather be
There's nothing that could replace the satisfaction and fulfillment I have with my current partner.
So why would I leave
There's no reason for me to leave the person I'm with.
There's no good out there for me now
I cannot find someone else who can bring me the same good feeling as my current partner.
There's nothing I can't do without
I don't need anyone else in my life to be happy and content.
I can't live without
My current partner has become an indispensable part of my life.
You make me feel like heavens pourin' down on me
My partner brings me an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness that I can't find elsewhere.
I know I'm free
I am free to make my own choices, but I choose to stay with my partner.
I could dream somebody else, Be treated like a queen by someone else
I could potentially dream or fantasize about someone else treating me well, but it doesn't compare to the real love and care I receive from my current partner.
I don't want to (I don't want to)
I don't want to leave my current partner.
I don't want to (Oh I, Oh I)
I don't want to risk losing the love and happiness that I have with my partner.
I don't want to
I am content and fulfilled with my current relationship and have no desire to explore other options.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRETT JAMES, PAT MONAHAN, ASHLEY LAUREN MONROE, Ashley Monroe, Patrick Monahan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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!