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 weβre 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."
Love Donβt Live Here
Lady Antebellum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has been hardened like a stone
It might take some time
To get back what is gone
But Iβ²m movin' on
And you donβ²t hold my dreams
Like you did before
Well, I heard the news
That you were back in town
And just passin' through
To claim your lost and found
But I'm over you
And there ainβ²t nothinβ² there
That you could say or do
To take what you did back
You've got nerve to waltz right in
And think whatβ²s mine is yours again
'Cause I been doinβ² fine without you
Forgettin' all the love we once knew
And girl, I ainβ²t the one that slammed that door
And now you say you've changed your thinkin'
But I ainβ²t got a heart for breakinβ²
So go and pick your bags up off my floor
Oh, 'cause love donβ²t live here anymore, oh no
Well baby, you can try
To tell me how it is
And try to justify
Everything you did
But honey, I'm no fool
Oh, and I been down this road
Too many times with you
And I think itβ²s best you go
Well, I got one thing left to say
That you can lay in the bed you made
'Cause I been doinβ² fine without you
Forgettin' all the love we once knew
And girl, I ain't the one that slammed that door
Oh, shouldβ²ve known
That now youβ²ll say you changed your thinkin'
But I ainβ²t got a heart for breakin'
So go and pick your bags up off my floor
Oh, β²cause love don't live here anymore, oh no
That love donβ²t live here anymore
Oh, no, no! Should've known, no
You don't live here anymore
Love donβ²t live here anymore
And since you walked out of my door
Love donβ²t live here, love don't live here, girl
Oh, love donβ²t live here anymore!
In the first verse, the singer expresses that their heart has become hardened and it will take time to recover from the pain and loss they have experienced. They declare that they are moving on and that the person they are addressing no longer holds their dreams like they once did. The singer even goes as far as to say that they will curse the person's name, indicating their resentment and anger towards them.
The second verse reveals that the singer has heard that this person has returned to town, but they are not interested in any sort of reunion or reconciliation. The mention of "lost and found" suggests that this person may be trying to reclaim something that they left behind, but the singer is firm in their stance that they are over them. They feel that there is nothing the person can say or do to make up for what they did and take back what they took.
In the chorus, the singer asserts their independence and self-sufficiency. They claim that they have been doing fine without this person, forgetting the love they once shared. They deny responsibility for ending the relationship, stating that they are not the one who slammed the door. Although the person now claims to have changed their thinking, the singer refuses to be swayed. They do not have the capacity or willingness to be hurt again, and they tell the person to pick up their belongings and leave.
The final chorus repeats the sentiment that love no longer resides in the singer's life. They emphasize that this person no longer belongs in their life and they won't be fooled again. The song concludes with a strong declaration that love does not exist in their world anymore and that the person's absence has made them stronger.
Overall, "Love Don't Live Here" is a defiant anthem of independence and resilience. The singer has overcome heartbreak and moved on, refusing to let the person who hurt them back into their life. They are standing their ground and determined to protect themselves from further pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Well this heart of mine
My heart has become hardened and unfeeling
Has been hardened like a stone
It has become as hard and unyielding as a stone
It might take some time
It could require a significant amount of time
To get back what is gone
To regain what has been lost
But I'm movin' on
However, I am making progress and moving forward
And you don't hold my dreams
You no longer possess a hold on my dreams or aspirations
Like you did before
As you once did in the past
Oh, and I will curse your name, hey!
Furthermore, I will express anger and resentment towards you
Well, I heard the news
I received information
That you were back in town
That you had returned to this town
And just passin' through
Merely passing by temporarily
To claim your lost and found
To assert ownership over what you have lost and found again
But I'm over you
However, I am no longer emotionally attached to you
And there ainβt nothin' there
Furthermore, there is nothing remaining
That you could say or do
That you could say or do to change my feelings
To take what you did back
To reverse or undo what you have done
You've got nerve to waltz right in
You have audacity to confidently enter
And think whatβs mine is yours again
And assume that what belongs to me is now yours once more
'Cause I been doin' fine without you
Because I have been managing well without your presence
Forgettin' all the love we once knew
Letting go of all the love we formerly shared
And girl, I ain't the one that slammed that door
And, girl, I am not the individual who forcefully closed the door
And now you say you've changed your thinkin'
And now you claim to have altered your mindset
But I ain't got a heart for breakin'
But I do not possess a heart that is willing to be broken again
So go and pick your bags up off my floor
Therefore, please retrieve your belongings from my floor
'Cause love don't live here anymore, oh no
Because love no longer resides in this place, oh no
Well baby, you can try
Well, baby, you can attempt
To tell me how it is
To explain your perspective
And try to justify
And try to provide reasoning or justification
Everything you did
For everything you have done
But honey, I'm no fool
However, my dear, I am not naive
Oh, and I been down this road
Oh, and I have traveled this path before
Too many times with you
Far too many times alongside you
And I think it's best you go
And I believe it is most beneficial for you to leave
Well, I got one thing left to say
Well, I have one final thing to express
That you can lay in the bed you made
You can accept the consequences of your actions
'Cause I been doin' fine without you
Because I have been managing well without your presence
Forgettin' all the love we once knew
Letting go of all the love we formerly shared
And girl, I ain't the one that slammed that door
And, girl, I am not the individual who forcefully closed the door
Oh, should've known
Oh, you should have been aware
That now you'll say you changed your thinkin'
That now you will claim to have altered your mindset
But I ain't got a heart for breakin'
But I do not possess a heart that is willing to be broken again
So go and pick your bags up off my floor
Therefore, please retrieve your belongings from my floor
Oh, 'cause love don't live here anymore, oh no
Oh, because love no longer resides in this place, oh no
That love don't live here anymore
Love no longer resides in this place
Oh, no, no! Should've known, no
Oh, no, no! You should have been aware, no
You don't live here anymore
You are no longer a resident here
Love don't live here anymore
Love no longer resides in this place
And since you walked out of my door
And ever since you departed from my doorstep
Love don't live here, love don't live here, girl
Love does not exist here, love does not exist here, girl
Oh, love don't live here anymore!
Oh, love no longer resides in this place!
Writer(s): Par Wiksten, James Eliot, Phillipa Margaret Brown
Contributed by Allison R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cindycarter8325
The very first time I got to see them in concert was at a county fair , I drove 3 hours to see them , sang every song in the stands with them , then drove 3 hours home and went to work , lol I would do it again in a heart beat !!!!!
@MrsWeaver
I love em!! This song is one of my favoritesπ
@mountcomfort740
I used to do that to be young again lol
@ronnyparker
great story, hope they come to somewhere near me
@MeggieWillis
my mom and I listen to this song Sunday afternoon
@patrickz508
Wanna know how talented Lady A is? This was their FIRST single... they really came out of the gate swingin' and they haven't relented since! My favorite band ever <3
@jacobgraham7520
I agree with you on that one. They are my all time favorite country band.
@jennas17
11 years later and this is still my favorite song from them π
@justiceharrison5142
Hello there Jenna nice meeting you here
@natalieholt563
Mine too!!!!π₯°π₯°π₯°Everyone can relate to this because everyone has a shifty ex lol