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."
It Ain
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it just happened to be Saturday night
I put my lipstick on a little too bright
Then I took a deep breathe and started to drive
He'd let me in without a cover charge
Found my way to the back of the bar
Peeled the corners of a cocktail napkin
I just bought a drink
Downtown all alone
Searching through the names
Getting lost in my cellphone
It ain't pretty, it ain't pretty
When a heart breaks
Made my way to the bathroom mirror
Standing next to some girl spilling beer
She didn't notice I was drying my tears
Just look at me now, God, how'd I get here?
'Cause I just kissed a boy
And I barely even knew his name
I let him take me by the hand
Hold me close while our old song played
It ain't pretty, it ain't pretty
When a heart breaks
I almost dialed your number
To remind you what you did
But I think it might be better
To just let this night end
So, I just called a cab
Outside it's starting to rain
I got my high heels in my hand
Oh I'm ready for the walk of shame
It ain't pretty, it ain't pretty
It ain't pretty
When a heart breaks
I just bought a drink, it ain't pretty
I just kissed a boy, it ain't pretty
I just called a cab
Lady Antebellum's song "It Ain't Pretty" paints a picture of a heartbreaking Saturday night out. The singer starts by feeling like she's doing alright but ultimately ends up in tears after dancing with a boy she barely knows. She finds herself in the bathroom staring at herself in the mirror next to a girl spilling beer. She considers calling her ex to remind him what he did to her, but ultimately decides to let this night end. She calls a cab and gets ready for the walk of shame.
The song explores the theme of broken hearts and the choices we make to cope with the pain. The singer tries to escape the hurt she's feeling by going out with friends, but it only leads to more heartache. She kisses a boy on the dance floor but, instead of feeling better, it only reminds her of the love she's lost. The song is a reminder that even though heartbreak may be inevitable, we have the choice to how we respond to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Had a feeling, I was feeling alright
I felt good and comfortable with myself.
But it just happened to be Saturday night
The day of the week was not relevant, it was just a coincidence.
I put my lipstick on a little too bright
I wanted to look my best for a night out and may have gone a bit overboard with my makeup.
Then I took a deep breathe and started to drive
I got in the car and started to go to a bar or a club.
He'd let me in without a cover charge
The bouncer let me in for free, without charging me for admission.
Found my way to the back of the bar
I went towards the back of the establishment, maybe to find someplace to sit.
Peeled the corners of a cocktail napkin
I tore the edges of a napkin and played around with it.
Watching everybody smiling, laughing
I observed the patrons around me who appear to be enjoying themselves.
I just bought a drink
I purchased a beverage for myself.
Downtown all alone
I am in a downtown area by myself.
Searching through the names
I am looking for someone in my contacts, most likely my reason for feeling upset.
Getting lost in my cellphone
I am getting absorbed into my phone, trying to find someone to talk to, trying to feel better.
It ain't pretty, it ain't pretty
This emotional state isn't a good one, it isn't something I would typically feel good about.
Made my way to the bathroom mirror
I moved over to the bathroom to check my makeup.
Standing next to some girl spilling beer
I was standing next to a girl who was making a mess with her drink.
She didn't notice I was drying my tears
The other girl was too preoccupied to notice that I was crying.
Just look at me now, God, how'd I get here?
I am feeling down and questioning how I managed to find myself in this state.
'Cause I just kissed a boy
I engaged in a brief physical interaction with a guy.
And I barely even knew his name
I don't know much about this person, I didn't even know his name.
I let him take me by the hand
I let the guy take my hand willingly.
Hold me close while our old song played
We danced close to each other while a song that held an emotional significance for me played.
It ain't pretty, it ain't pretty
The situation isn't good, it's not ideal.
I almost dialed your number
I almost called someone I was trying to forget.
To remind you what you did
I was considering reminding them of something they did wrong that hurt my feelings.
But I think it might be better
I decided it was probably better to leave the situation as it is.
To just let this night end
I simply wanted to let this evening pass and end it.
So, I just called a cab
I called for a cab.
Outside it's starting to rain
It's starting to rain outside.
I got my high heels in my hand
I'm carrying my high heels to avoid walking in them.
Oh I'm ready for the walk of shame
I'm ready to experience the feeling of shame that comes with taking a cab ride alone at night.
It ain't pretty, it ain't pretty
This situation is far from desirable.
It ain't pretty
I want to emphasize how bad it feels to have a broken heart.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Spirit Music Group
Written by: ERIC PASLAY, NICHOLLE ANNE GALYON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Minenhle Mkhize
I always picture the visuals of this song everytime I'm listening to it
Pamela Newman
Me too
Emma Gilkey
"Hold me close while our old song played."
Minenhle Mkhize
I can literally see her walking the walk of shame
Educação fisica
Oootimo!
Pamela Newman
This song is fire 🔥
Eric Van Boekel
been there done that…..great song
Minenhle Mkhize
Beautiful story line... I even visualised the lyrics
Morgan Garrett
The "old some plate" part, is "our old song played" c:
Shannon Dempsey
Story of my life...