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."
I Was Here
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be leavin' my mark, like initials carved in an old oak tree
You wait and see
Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote
Maybe I'll paint like Van Gough
Cure the common cold
I don't know but I'm ready to start 'cause I know in my heart
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on it's ear
I wanna do somethin' better, with the time I've been given
And I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothin' less that something that says I was here
I will prove you wrong
If you think im all talk, your in for a shock
'Cause this streams too strong, and before too long
Maybe I'll compose symphonies
Maybe I'll fight for world peace
'Cause I know it's my destiny to leave more that a trace of myself in this place
I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on it's ear
I wanna do somethin' better, with the time I've been given
And I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothin' less that something that says I was here
And I know that I, I will do more than just pass through this life
I'll leave nothin' less that somethin' that says I was here
I was here
I was here
I was here
Wanna do somethin' that matters
Somethin' that says I was here
Wanna do somethin' that matters
Somethin' that says I was here, I was here
The lyrics of Lady Antebellum's song, "I Was Here," are about leaving a positive impact on the world and becoming a significant part of history. The artist is optimistic about the future and is confident that they will achieve greatness, leaving behind a lasting legacy after they have departed from the world. The lyrics suggest that the artist knows they have a purpose in life and are focused on achieving it, and they will leave nothing but something that says they were here. The artist is not content with just existing or merely passing through life. Instead, they want to make a difference, change the world, and touch hearts, leaving behind something that makes a difference.
The song encourages listeners to aspire to do something meaningful that sets them apart and makes a difference. The artist highlights that there are different ways of creating impact, such as writing like Twain, painting like Van Gough, or composing symphonies. The lyrics suggest that it does not matter what one does as long as they're doing something that matters to them and makes the world a better place. In essence, the song speaks to the necessity of not just existing in the world but also living life to the fullest and making it worthwhile.
Overall, the message in "I Was Here" is that everyone has a purpose in life, and while individual purposes may differ, we must all strive to make a meaningful difference in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
You will notice me
I want to make an impact and be remembered
I'll be leavin' my mark, like initials carved in an old oak tree
I want to leave a lasting legacy and be remembered like an old tree with initials carved into it
You wait and see
I have high hopes and aspirations for my impact on the world
Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote
I aspire to be a great writer like Mark Twain
Maybe I'll paint like Van Gough
I aspire to be a great painter like Vincent van Gogh
Cure the common cold
I aspire to make a significant contribution to science and medicine
I don't know but I'm ready to start 'cause I know in my heart
Although I'm not sure exactly what I'll do, I'm ready to start and follow my heart
I wanna do something that matters
I want to make a meaningful impact on the world
Say something different
I want to be a voice that stands out and is heard
Something that sets the whole world on it's ear
I want to create something that shakes up the world and leaves an impression
I wanna do somethin' better, with the time I've been given
I want to make the most of my time on earth and do something meaningful with it
And I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
I want to make a personal and emotional impact on people's lives
And leave nothin' less that something that says I was here
I want to leave a tangible mark of my existence and impact on the world
I will prove you wrong
I am determined to exceed expectations and prove doubters wrong
If you think im all talk, your in for a shock
If you doubt my abilities, you'll be surprised by what I accomplish
'Cause this streams too strong, and before too long
My desire to make an impact is too strong to be ignored and will manifest itself soon
Maybe I'll compose symphonies
I aspire to be a great composer of music
Maybe I'll fight for world peace
I aspire to be a great advocate for peace and justice in the world
'Cause I know it's my destiny to leave more that a trace of myself in this place
I am confident it is my fate to make a significant and lasting impact
And I know that I, I will do more than just pass through this life
I am determined to do more than simply exist in this life
I'll leave nothin' less that somethin' that says I was here
I want to leave a lasting legacy that my impact on the world will be remembered
Wanna do somethin' that matters
I want to make a meaningful impact on the world
Somethin' that says I was here
I want to leave a tangible mark of my existence and impact on the world
I was here
I want to be remembered and leave a lasting legacy
I was here
I want to be remembered and leave a lasting legacy
I was here
I want to be remembered and leave a lasting legacy
Somethin' that says I was here
I want to leave a tangible mark of my existence and impact on the world
Wanna do somethin' that matters
I want to make a meaningful impact on the world
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: VICTORIA SHAW, GARY BURR, HILLARY SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind