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."
If I Knew Then
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lady Antebellum's song "If I Knew Then" is a reflective piece on past mistakes in relationships. The verses take the listener through three separate moments in the singer's life, all moments where he had the opportunity to fall in love with someone special, but didn't take the chance. The chorus, with its melancholic melody, emphasizes the value of love, and how it only comes once in a while, and should be cherished when it does. The song also highlights how love can leave scars and take every breath, but it's worth it for the experience.
The first verse sets the tone, with the singer looking back at a young and restless time in his life, where he met someone who he now realizes was special. The second verse describes a missed connection, where the singer was on a bus and in love with someone three rows away, but never got to speak to them. The final verse introduces a failed attempt to get to know someone better, where the singer admits that he "took it way too far." The chorus ties all these experiences together, highlighting the singer's regrets over not taking his chances when they appeared in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time that I saw you
When I first laid eyes on you
Looking like you did,
Appearing the way you did
We were young
We were both youthful and inexperienced
We were restless
We had an energy and eagerness for life
Just two clueless kids,
We were both naive and did not fully understand life and love
But if I knew then
If I had the awareness and knowledge I possess now at that time
What I know now
The wisdom and insight I have gained over time
I'd fall in love.
I would have fallen head over heels in love with you
You're on a bus in Chicago
You were riding a bus in Chicago
Three rows to the left
Seated three rows to my left
You know my heart
You are aware of my deep affection for you
Is reaching for you
My heart is longing to be with you
But we never even met
Although we were in close proximity, we never had the chance to officially meet
If I knew then
If I had the awareness and knowledge I possess now at that time
What I know now
The wisdom and insight I have gained over time
I'd fall in love.
I would have fallen head over heels in love with you
'cause love only comes
Because true love is rare and unique
Once in a while
It only happens occasionally
And knocks on your door
Comes unexpectedly into your life
And throws you a smile
Brings you joy and happiness
And takes every breath,
It consumes your thoughts and feelings
Leaves every scar,
Even the beautiful moments can sometimes leave a lasting impression
Speaks through your soul
Touches your very being
And sings to your heart
Touches your emotions and feelings
But if I knew then
If I had the awareness and knowledge I possess now at that time
What I know now
The wisdom and insight I have gained over time
I'd fall in love.
I would have fallen head over heels in love with you
On a summer night
During a warm summer evening
In august
In the month of August
Backseat of my car
In the rear passenger area of my vehicle
Said I'm trying to get
I admitted that I was attempting to
To know you,
Learn more about you
I took it way to far
I went too quickly and too intensely
But if I knew then
If I had the awareness and knowledge I possess now at that time
What I know now
The wisdom and insight I have gained over time
I'd fall in love.
I would have fallen head over heels in love with you
(wooaahh)
Vocalization to express strong emotions
'cause love only comes
Because true love is rare and unique
Once in a while
It only happens occasionally
And knocks on your door
Comes unexpectedly into your life
And throws you a smile
Brings you joy and happiness
And takes every breath,
It consumes your thoughts and feelings
Leaves every scar,
Even the beautiful moments can sometimes leave a lasting impression
Speaks through your soul
Touches your very being
And sings to your heart
Touches your emotions and feelings
But if I knew then
If I had the awareness and knowledge I possess now at that time
What I know now
The wisdom and insight I have gained over time
I'd fall in love.
I would have fallen head over heels in love with you
(woah)
Vocalization to express strong emotions
I used up
I have exhausted, depleted
A lot of chances
Opportunities that were presented to me
But you give them back
You have been gracious enough to let me try again
But if again
If given another opportunity
It comes crawling
It returns slowly and gradually
Im gonna make it last..
I am determined to make it work and endure
'cause love only comes
Because true love is rare and unique
Once in a while
It only happens occasionally
And knocks on your door
Comes unexpectedly into your life
And throws you a smile
Brings you joy and happiness
It takes every breath,
It consumes your thoughts and feelings
Leaves every scar,
Even the beautiful moments can sometimes leave a lasting impression
Speaks through your soul
Touches your very being
And sings to your heart
Touches your emotions and feelings
But if I knew then
If I had the awareness and knowledge I possess now at that time
What I know now
The wisdom and insight I have gained over time
(woah)
Vocalization to express strong emotions
If I knew then
If I had the awareness and knowledge I possess now at that time
What I know now
The wisdom and insight I have gained over time
I'd fall in love...
I would have fallen head over heels in love with you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES KELLEY, RICHARD BELMONT (MONTY) POWELL, ANNA WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind