“I have a hard time singing or writing about something I can’t relate to,” she says, and that philosophy is front and center on her Arista Nashville debut album, co-produced by nine-time CMA Award-winning producer Tony Brown and two-time GRAMMY®-winning songwriter Paul Overstreet.
“Paul got the ball rolling,” Kristen says. A chance meeting at a 2010 benefit concert impressed Overstreet enough to invite her to write with him, sparking a chain of events that ultimately led to her record deal. But Kristen was far from an “overnight” discovery.
Born in Waco, Texas, Kristen Kelly grew up in the country, living on 10 acres in small-town Lorena, Texas. “You blink, you miss it,” she smiles. She credits her outdoorsy, adventurous spirit in adult life to those days of “simple country living.”
She sang in talent shows and high school choir, and by middle school had taken an interest in poetry, beginning the foundation for the songwriting that would emerge years later. “I grew up in love with music,” Kristen recalls. Her late grandfather, Sterling Kelly, was a country musician – “I still have 45s of him and his band” – while her dad helped instill her affinity for classic rock, as well as her determination. “He’s a simple, hard-working man who never quits – and I think that’s where I get some of my ‘workaholic’ from is him.” Along the way, she adds, “I fell in love with the blues.”
While bartending in 2001, an impromptu performance earned Kristen an on-the-spot invitation to sing with a regional classic-rock cover band. That night launched a three-year part-time gig with the band as she moved closer to a life in music, co-writing her first song (“Down in Flames” with Brandon Jenkins and Stoney LaRue) in 2004, the same year she began a two-year music degree at Waco’s McLennan Community College.
In her final semester, a friend asked her to sing harmony on songs he was recording. They began writing and recording with Kristen on lead vocals, as well, resulting in their self-released album, The Highway Is My Home, as Modern Day Drifters. Initially a duo, they added a few players to flesh-out their live sound, and the act earned airplay and acclaim around Texas. But with the departure of her original partner in late 2008, Kristen took the reins and recorded her debut under the banner Kristen Kelly & The Modern Day Drifters, producing all but one song on 2010’s independent Placekeeper.
Her musical style embraces influences ranging from Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and Bob Seger to singer/songwriter Patty Griffin to the blues and soul of Ray Charles, Susan Tedeschi, and Bonnie Raitt, while her country roots were shaped in part by the sounds of the ‘80s and ‘90s. “I grew up listening to The Judds and Reba and George Strait and Willie Nelson,” she says, adding that her biggest influence is Merle Haggard.
“I think I’m such a big fan of Merle Haggard’s music and his songwriting because it’s simple. I’ve always believed that country music was three chords and the truth, and that’s more or less what he did – and what all the great blues musicians did.”
Kristen mines her own truth with a lighthearted look at love gone awry on the groove-filled “Ex-Old Man,” while the deeply personal “Feelin’ Nothing” is the culmination of lyric lines that had been in her thoughts for years. “There stands a man I used to love / his hands my skin they used to touch / the very hands that once held my heart” begins the ballad of time-won healing.
“I’m a happy person,” Kristen offers, “but what I write has a lot of angst and realness to it, whether it’s something that I’ve personally experienced or somebody close to me has experienced. To be able to give voice to pain that I’ve felt, to be able to say ‘it hurts’ when it hurts, is part of my music. And if something I’ve gone through helps somebody get through something in their life, then I think that’s the ultimate reward for being a survivor.”
From the pen of acclaimed singer/songwriter Matraca Berg, Kristen pours out the emotional restlessness of a strained-but-committed relationship in another album highlight, “How Leaving Feels.” “I think maybe every man and woman at some point has wanted to know what leaving would feel like,” she says, “but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gonna do it.”
But there are times when leaving has its place, and Kristen’s dynamic vocals soar on the rocked-out blues of “Turn and Face Memphis,” a spirited kiss-off to a my-way-or-the-highway ultimatum that mirrors a time in her own life.
The strength and passion of her delivery further shine on the soulfully sexy “He Loves to Make Me Cry,” which she wrote with Overstreet and Even Stevens. But there’s another Overstreet co-write, “Signs,” that speaks to an important side of Kristen Kelly. While the lyric is about a relationship, there’s a deeper meaning that reflects some of the inspiration that brought her to this point in her career.
“There’ve been little signs along the way,” she shares. “I’m no holy roller, but it’s like, ‘All right, I’m listening.’ I see it, I hear it, I feel that little nudge – and I’m gonna go with it.”
That faith is at the heart of Kristen Kelly, and it’s visible on the inside of her right wrist, with a tattoo of the word “Believe.”
“If you’ve got a dream, keep dreaming,” she says. “Believe. Ten years ago, I’d have never dreamed I’d be sitting right here, but I am.”
www.KristenKellyMusic.com
Ex
Kristen Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took his ring off my finger, gave him back his last name
So don't judge me, I'm doing the best I can
Got a damn good reason for this drink in my hand
Got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
No I didn't see it coming, she was sly as can be
I was crying on her shoulder, he was cheating on me
She never let on that it was her stealing his love
I got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
Good riddance to ‘em both, I really don't need them
I was working two jobs, they were fooling around
Crossed my mind to put ‘em six feet in the ground
I got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
Trust may be something that I live without
It's gonna take a while to remove my doubt
But everyone around you at some point will let you down
That's how I feel now
I got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
I got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
Now I heard it through the grapevine, he's tired of her
Guess they're finally getting what they deserve
The last time I saw him he had the nerve to hit on me
How sleazy can you be?
I got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
Took his ring off my finger, gave him back his last name
So don't judge me, I'm doing the best I can
I've got a damn good reason for this drink in my hand
I got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
I got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
In Kristen Kelly's song "Ex-Old Man," the singer is dealing with the aftermath of a betrayal. She has broken up with her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend who were having an affair behind her back. She refers to them as "ex-old man" and "ex-best girlfriend," respectively. Despite feeling hurt and betrayed, the singer is trying to move on and acknowledges that she may have to live without trust in the future. The singer also alludes to the fact that her ex-boyfriend may be trying to reconcile with her, even though he has not yet stopped seeing her former friend.
The lyrics in "Ex-Old Man" are very relatable for people who have experienced betrayal and heartbreak. The song highlights the importance of loyalty and honesty in relationships and how their absence can cause immense pain. It also touches on the resilience of the human spirit and how, even in difficult times, people can find ways to move past their pain and heal. The singer is dealing with the loss of a relationship and friendship but shows strength in her decision to leave behind those who have hurt her.
Line by Line Meaning
Got an ex-old man and an ex-best girlfriend
The singer has ended relationships with both her former romantic partner and her former best friend.
Took his ring off my finger, gave him back his last name
The singer ended her marriage by returning her husband's wedding ring and asking to have her maiden name back.
So don't judge me, I'm doing the best I can
The singer is asking for understanding and empathy as she copes with the aftermath of these ended relationships.
Got a damn good reason for this drink in my hand
The singer is indicating that the reason she is drinking is related to the pain and stress she feels due to these difficult circumstances.
No I didn't see it coming, she was sly as can be
The singer was caught off guard by her husband's infidelity and her best friend's involvement in the affair.
I was crying on her shoulder, he was cheating on me
While the singer was confiding in her best friend about her marital issues, her husband was unfaithful to her.
She never let on that it was her stealing his love
The singer's best friend concealed her romantic interest in the singer's husband, and managed to begin a relationship with him without revealing her intentions to the singer.
But I wised up
Despite initial confusion and heartache, the singer eventually realized the truth about her husband and best friend's betrayal.
Good riddance to ‘em both, I really don't need them
The singer has a negative opinion of her former husband and friend, and considers their absence to be a positive change in her life.
Crossed my mind to put ‘em six feet in the ground
The singer briefly considered harming her former partner and friend in retaliation for their actions, but did not act on these impulses.
Trust may be something that I live without
As a result of these experiences, the singer is having difficulty trusting others.
It's gonna take a while to remove my doubt
The singer recognizes that it will take time for her to heal and regain trust in others.
But everyone around you at some point will let you down
The singer acknowledges that it is inevitable to experience disappointment or betrayal from even those close to you.
That's how I feel now
The singer is describing her current emotional state and outlook on relationships.
Now I heard it through the grapevine, he's tired of her
The singer has heard rumors that her former husband is unhappy in his current relationship with her former friend.
Guess they're finally getting what they deserve
The singer believes that her former husband and friend's relationship is now a source of karma, or comeuppance for their actions.
The last time I saw him he had the nerve to hit on me
The singer was approached inappropriately by her former husband despite his involvement with her former friend.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER N CREAGGER, PAUL LESTER OVERSTREET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@geraldinemole8549
Can't understand why she is not a bigger star all her songs are so good.
@thejd2323
Best voice i've heard since Susan Tadeschi . Thought this song rocked, then found "He loves to make me cry". WOW this girl can wail!! Hope she makes it to Mad.Town soon.
@itarisk
Kristen Kelly is such an inspiration to women everywhere! She's beautiful, talented and strong and I can't get enough of her EP!
@NiaNicholls
I'm 16 and from the UK and I play this song at every open mic/festival I do. Everybody loves it and they say what a great song is. It's one of my favourites<3
@miguelaguirre9032
I love this song me ex was cheating on me wish my neighbor while I was in the hospital.
@miguelaguirre6276
My song to my ex wife
@DaizeLynn
Great job queen KEEP SHINING
🌼Love&Light🌼
@lalaayla
I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS SONG!!!!
@marinescntrygirl2
Now heres a great AND newer country voice! I love her voice.
@MissRailfan
She disappeared after this 😢