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."
Compass
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Roller coasters high and low
Fill the tank and drive the car
Pedal fast, pedal hard
You won't have to go that far
You want to give up cause it's dark
We're really not that far apart
So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost
And you should follow it wherever it may go
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
Never be alone
Never be alone
Forgot directions on your way
Don't close your eyes don't be afraid
We might be crazy late at night
I can't wait til you arrive
Follow stars you'll be alright
You want to give up cause it's dark
We're really not that far apart
So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost
And you should follow it wherever it may go
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
Never be alone
Never be alone
You want to give up cause it's dark
We're really not that far apart
So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost
And you should follow it wherever it may go
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
Never be alone
Never be alone
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
The lyrics to Lady Antebellum's song "Compass" encourage listeners to trust their hearts and follow their internal compass even when the road ahead is bumpy and uncertain. The opening stanza sets the tone for the song, acknowledging that life is full of ups and downs. The lyrics then urge the listener to keep going, to pedal hard and not give up even when it's dark and directions have been forgotten. Through it all, the message remains clear - follow your heart, and you will never be alone.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more and more uplifting. Lady Antebellum reminds us that we are not as far apart as we might think, and that even at our craziest and most uncertain moments, we can rely on each other and on the stars to guide us. In the end, the song offers a message of hope and reassurance, reminding us that even when we're lost, our hearts will always be our compasses.
Overall, "Compass" offers a powerful message of resilience and self-assurance. It encourages listeners to trust their internal guidance, to keep going even when the road ahead is uncertain, and to never forget that they are never truly alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Yea it's been a bumpy road
The path taken so far has been filled with ups and downs
Roller coasters high and low
The journey so far has been unpredictable with both good and bad times
Fill the tank and drive the car
Refuel the energy within and keep moving forward
Pedal fast, pedal hard
Keep pushing through, even if it requires extra effort
You won't have to go that far
Victory might be closer than expected
Forgot directions on your way
Lost track of the intended route
Don't close your eyes don't be afraid
Don't give up and remain fearless in the face of uncertainty
We might be crazy late at night
Things might seem chaotic and messed up in the moment
I can't wait til you arrive
Looking forward to meeting someone or something
Follow stars you'll be alright
Even in the dark, there is guidance and hope to be found
So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost
Trust your instincts and follow your passions when feeling aimless
And you should follow it wherever it may go
Have faith that the direction chosen is the right one, regardless of where it leads
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
There's no need to rush or panic because everything will work out in the end
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
You're never truly alone in the world
Never be alone
Reinforcement of the previous line
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROSS GOLAN, TOR ERIK HERMANSEN, MIKKEL STORLEER ERIKSEN, AMMAR MALIK, DANIEL THOMAS OMELIO, EMILE HAYNIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stevie S
Compass
Lady Antebellum
Yea it's been a bumpy road
Roller coasters high and low
Fill the tank and drive the car
Pedal fast, pedal hard
You won't have to go that far
You want to give up cause it's dark
We're really not that far apart
So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost
And you should follow it wherever it may go
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
Never be alone
Never be alone
Forgot directions on your way
Don't close your eyes don't be afraid
We might be crazy late at night
I can't wait til you arrive
Follow stars you'll be alright
You want to give up cause it's dark
We're really not that far apart
So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost
And you should follow it wherever it may go
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
Never be alone
Never be alone
You want to give up cause it's dark
We're really not that far apart
So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost
And you should follow it wherever it may go
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
Never be alone
Never be alone
When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run
'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone
mrsmusicforlife
I can't explain how much this song means to me. I was following lady antebellum for years and then they released this positive song during the hardest time of my life, when I was suffering with depression. This song helped me in ways I can't explain. I'm glad to be recovered and living my life again. I hope to one day get a tattoo of the quote "you'll never be alone"
Crovax
Then you would be an official Liverpool fan. Just have to replace "be" with "walk" ;)
Grace Abbott
I have no idea what that is like I have been in love with it for 3 years 💓💓💓💗
Matt R
mrsmusicforlife Same here
Breyden Campbell
I know how u feel
Brit Venenga
Atta girl for grabbing on to something when it found you. I use this song to motivate me back to the art that makes my heart beat faster...
Skyrising
I'm not usually a fan of country music.. but I love this song. It makes me so happy! :D A song to get you through the hard times.
Christian Slater
This song helped me get thru my cancer, and my recovery which was a really long journey...It will always be the light at the end of my tunnel. thank you so much for spreading positivity.
Pavithra R
I'm an ardent Lady Antebellum fan....I'm pretty much used to the subtleness in their songs but this one is full of celebration, color, freshness and novel - I'm lovin' it!!
Lexi3459
What a great song...so upbeat, great music and the lyrics are SO beautiful.