The trio originally formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006 by Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals), Dave Haywood (background vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin) and Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals).
Scott is the daughter of country music singer Linda Davis, and Charles Kelley is the brother of pop artist Josh Kelley. It was these family connections and music industry ties that helped launch the band. Kelley moved to Nashville in mid-2005 from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he had been working construction with his brother John. Trying to become a successful solo country artist, Kelley convinced his old middle-school classmate, Haywood, to move to Nashville from Georgia in 2006 so they could write music together. Shortly thereafter, Scott recognized Kelley from MySpace, and they started to talk at a Nashville music club. Kelley later invited Scott to join him and Haywood in the new group, which assumed the name Lady Antebellum. The name Antebellum comes from when the group were photographing "antebellum" homes. The antebellum ('pre-war') architectural style describes the large plantation homes in the American South. While photographing the houses one of the group said that there's a great band name in there, and they adopted the Lady Antebellum name shortly after. The trio then began performing at local venues in Nashville before being signed in July 2007 to a recording contract with Capitol Records Nashville. In an interview with Sirius Satellite Radio, Scott claimed she was rejected from the hit show American Idol two times, not even making it past the first round.
Shortly after the trio signed to the label, adult contemporary artist Jim Brickman chose Lady Antebellum to sing on his 2007 single Never Alone, which reached #14 on the Billboard adult contemporary charts. In mid-2007, Lady Antebellum also wrote a song for the MTV reality television series The Hills.
Their solo debut single Love Don't Live Here was released in September of 2007, with a music video for the song following in December. This song was the lead-off single to the band's self-titled debut album. Released on April 15, 2008, Lady Antebellum was produced by Paul Worley and Victoria Shaw, a Nashville songwriter and former solo artist. Love Don't Live Here reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The album itself was the first album by a new duo or group to debut at Number One on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts.
A second single, Lookin' for a Good Time, was issued in June 2008 and peaked at #11 in December. In addition, Lady Antebellum was signed as an opening act on Martina McBride's "Waking Up Laughing Tour" in 2008. Lady Antebellum also contributed the song I Was Here to the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack, a song which peaked at #24 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 based on downloads. In December 2008, their rendition of Baby, It's Cold Outside peaked at #3 on the same chart. Their third official single, I Run to You, was released in January 2009. It eventually became the trio's first Number One in July 2009.
On October 7, 2009 their debut album was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies in the United States.
In August 2009, the group released their fourth single, Need You Now, the lead-off single and title track to their second studio album. It debuted at #50 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and became their second Number One hit on the charts for the week of November 28, 2009. The song also reached a peak of #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a number-one hit on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart, making it a crossover hit. A second single, American Honey, was released to radio on January 11, 2010 and would become their third #1 hit. Our Kind of Love was released as the third single from the album on May 31, 2010 and became a #1 single in September, 2010.
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts for the week of Feb. 2, 2010, selling 480,922 copies in the first week. Four weeks after the album's release, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The week of January 9, 2011, the group ventured into the studio to begin recording for their third studio album. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kelley said, "We actually just went ahead and decided we’re gonna take two, two and a half months straight in the studio to create this thing and not have all this distraction. Hopefully that will be a good thing". He goes on to say that the group has around 50 songs which they plan to choose from along with songs from other songwriters. However, he singles out a song called Dancing Away With My Heart as one the band is particularly excited about, a song that the group co-wrote with Josh Kear, who previously wrote with the group on their hit Need You Now.
On May 2, 2011, the group released the first single from their upcoming album, titled Just a Kiss. The group performed the single on stage on American Idol's result show on May 5, 2011.
On June 11, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, the band announced they would rename themselves "Lady A" in order to avoid racist connotations with Civil War history, as the original name was based on the Antebellum South. The band stated on social media that they were "deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued."
09 If I Knew Then
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking like you did,
We were young
We were restless
Just two clueless kids,
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
You're on a bus in Chicago
Three rows to the left
You know my heart
Is racing for you
But we'd never even met
If I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
'Cause love only comes
Once in a while
And knocks on your door
And throws you a smile
And takes every breath,
Leaves every scar,
Speaks through your soul
And sings to your heart
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
On a summer night
In August
Backseat of my car
Said I'm trying to get
To know you,
I took it way too far
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
Whoa
'Cause love only comes
Once in a while
And knocks on your door
And throws you a smile
And takes every breath,
Leaves every scar,
Speaks to your soul
And sings through your heart
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
Whoa
I used up
A lot of chances
But you give them back
But if again
It comes crawling
I'm gonna make it last
'Cause love only comes
Once in a while
And knocks on your door
And throws you a smile
It takes every breath,
Leaves every scar,
Speaks through your soul
And sings to your heart
If I knew then
What I know now
Whoa
If I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love
Lady Antebellum's "If I Knew Then" is a song about the bittersweet reality of hindsight in love. It tells the story of a young couple who meet in Chicago and fall in love but who realize the mistakes they made along the way. The first verse reflects on the early days of their relationship when they were "clueless kids" who didn't know what they had found in each other. The second verse takes place on a summer night in August, when they are in the backseat of a car and the singer attempts to know the other person better, but takes it too far.
The chorus reflects on the reality that love only comes once in a while, and when it does, it leaves its mark on you. The lyrics suggest that love is both beautiful and painful and that it can take your breath away but also leave scars. However, despite the pain, the song suggests that love is worth it: "But if I knew then what I know now, I'd fall in love."
Line by Line Meaning
The first time that I saw you
Looking like you did,
We were young
We were restless
Just two clueless kids,
When we first met, we were young and carefree, without a clue about who we are or what we want.
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
If I had the wisdom I have now, I would have fallen in love with you the moment I saw you.
You're on a bus in Chicago
Three rows to the left
You know my heart
Is racing for you
But we'd never even met
Although we were close in proximity, we had not yet met. Yet, my heart was already racing for you.
'Cause love only comes
Once in a while
And knocks on your door
And throws you a smile
And takes every breath,
Leaves every scar,
Speaks through your soul
And sings to your heart
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
Love is rare and precious. It enters your life and brings happiness and pain. If only I had the knowledge I have now, I would have let myself fall in love with you.
On a summer night
In August
Backseat of my car
Said I'm trying to get
To know you,
I took it way too far
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
On August evening, I tried to get to know you, but I went overboard. If only I had known then, what I know now, I would have let myself fall in love with you.
Whoa
'Cause love only comes
Once in a while
And knocks on your door
And throws you a smile
And takes every breath,
Leaves every scar,
Speaks to your soul
And sings through your heart
But if I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love.
Love is elusive and magical. It takes a hold of your being and leaves its mark. If only I had realized the depth of this emotion, I would have fallen in love with you.
Whoa
I used up
A lot of chances
But you give them back
But if again
It comes crawling
I'm gonna make it last
I have squandered many opportunities in life but you have always given them back to me. If love decides to grace my life once more, I will make it last forever.
'Cause love only comes
Once in a while
And knocks on your door
And throws you a smile
It takes every breath,
Leaves every scar,
Speaks through your soul
And sings to your heart
If I knew then
What I know now
Love is an exceptional occurrence, and when it arrives, it changes your life completely. It captures your mind and heart, leaving a lasting impact. If only I had understood this earlier, I would have fallen in love with you a lot sooner.
Whoa
If I knew then
What I know now
I'd fall in love
If only I had the understanding I have now, I would have fallen in love with you without hesitation.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES KELLEY, RICHARD BELMONT (MONTY) POWELL, ANNA WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind