Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye never intended to hit a nerve when they sat down on St. Patricks Day and wrote “Girl In A Country Song.” Merely expressing their own reaction to the reductive tilt of today’s BroCountry, the pair and co-writer Aaron Schwerz shamelessly skewered its Xeroxed stereotypes; “Girl” was as much a lark as it was ever “meaningful social commentary.”
Yet the response was so instant and intense, there was no denying it. NPR’s “All Things Considered” cited Maddie & Tae for “turning heads in different ways with their very first single,” Rolling Stone cited them as one of “10 New Artists You Need to Know” and David Letterman couldn’t get the plucky duo to New York fast enough. Even elevated cultural think-tank The Atlantic marveled, “Cheekily appropriating much of the sound of modern country, the two young women directly quote well-known bro-country lyrics and titles…”
No one was more surprised than the natives of Sugar Land, Texas and Ada, Oklahoma. Still in the studio tracking overdubs for “Girl,” they signed their record deal before Dan Huff had even finished four sides on the sunshine’n’moxie pair.
“We wanted to go at it from a girl’s perspective, and we wanted to put ourselves in the shoes of this girl,” says Dye. “You know, how does she feel wearing those cut-off shorts, sitting on the tailgate?”
“Boys, we love you, we want to look good, but it’s not all we’re good for,” Marlow cautions with a laugh. “We are girls with something to say. We were brought up to know how we should be treated.”
Simple as that. But there’s so much more to Maddie & Tae than the song that is either a feminist declaration, an echo of Janet Jackson’s rebuke “I’ve got a name, and it ain’t ‘Baby’,” or this year’s feel-good finger-wag to dumb boys. NPR’s lead pop critic Ann Powers agrees, “Maddie and Tae are more. They’re songwriters, powerful harmonizers, and in the video for ‘Girl In A Country Song,’ natural comediennes.”
One listen to their self-titled EP shows that. The reeling mean-girl send-up “Sierra,” with its bending steel and trotting acoustic guitar, boasts harmonies that turn in on each other and the kind of truth that’s hilarious and straight-up.
“There was this beauty-queen bully from high school who sent my friends and I home in tears plenty of times,” Marlow explains. “In order to get over it, I had to write a song. So I brought the idea of ‘Sierra,’ and started singing, ‘I wish I had something nice to say…’
“Tae and our co-writer Aaron Scherz lit up and ran with it.”
Any one who’s suffered through and survived high school can relate. But the ability to rhyme “Sierra, Sierra, life ain’t all tiaras…” and taking the rejoinder “you’re gonna find out karma’s a…” to the brink is what sets these two late teenagers apart.
Effervescent and savoring every moment, Maddie & Tae laugh when they lean into the cautionary “That high horse you’re riding… can buck you off clean,” then let their harmonies swoop free and high on the outro.
Like a lot of young women, Maddie & Tae grew up on the Dixie Chicks’ full-tilt acoustica. Both dreamers who knew what they wanted early, the pair met at 15 through their vocal coach and came to Nashville for “a summer camp publishing deal.” They met Big Machine’s SVP of A&R Allison Jones – and fate stepped in.
As Tae recalls, “She said, ‘If you really want to pursue this, you will need to move to Nashville.’ I knew that was what I wanted, but moving to Nashville also meant I had to figure out how to graduate from high school early, and Maddie had to turn down college.”
In 2013, it was decided. The pair relocated – and never looked back. Publishing deal in hand, they were immersed in creativity, seeking a voice that was both authentic and truly their own. Like Taylor Swift, the duo knew by speaking their truth, their uniqueness would set them apart.
As Marlow told Rolling Stone Country, “Our whole project revolves around keeping it real and being honest. We didn’t filter anything, because we felt like when it comes from an honest place, the truth will resonate so much better. The thing about Taylor, everything is real and relevant to what she’s going through, and that’s why people connect with her.”
Listening to the double harmonies over an acoustic guitar hope-strung-over-doubt mid-tempo “Fly,” Maddie & Tae’s conviction is evident. Will what’s been built be betrayed? How do you keep the faith when you’re so unsure? Where is the courage to maintain your place when you’re afraid of the outcome?
Not since “Wide Open Spaces” has an act embraced the will to grow so unabashedly. In perfect synchronization, Maddie & Tae sing, “Keep on climbing, though the ground might shake, keep on reaching through the limb might break/ we’ve come this far, don’t be scared now ‘Cause you can learn to fly on the way down…”
It’s the sort of song that empowers people wherever they are in life, whatever challenge they may be encountering. Yes, it is about coming of age, but it’s also facing the things that scare you – and having the faith to transcend.
“’Fly’ hits home every time we listen to it,” Dye offers. “We really wanted to write a song that was, ‘You may not have anything figured out, but it doesn’t matter.’”
Indeed. Townes Van Zant wrote, “To live is to fly…” For Maddie & Tae, their wings are in the music. What they feel, how they live, what they dream – this is where they rise. One need only listen to the tumbledown hoedown “Your Side of Town,” that’s all high jinx and higher spirits as the pair warn off a no-good man for the last time, to understand.
Even in the hardcore throw-down, all bucking backbeat and bee-sting guitar, there is a romp and a plucky audacity that shows these young ladies have no interest in letting anything break their spirits. Just as importantly, they fear no fiddles, no banjos, no steel guitars, even as they have bulked up drums that crash and guitars that slash and sting like the big boys.
While Rolling Stone observed, “Cheekily appropriating much of the sound of modern country,” there is so much more to Maddie & Tae than that. Independent thinkers, strong livers, hardcore dreamers, the pair are reaching for the sky – and winking at us all while they do it.
Sometimes, it’s the freshest faces and brightest sounds that pull us in. For Maddie & Tae, who embrace real country, it’s that merge of what’s right now and what they love that sets them apart/captures our imaginations in the best possible way.
After The Storm Blows Through
Maddie & Tae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hanging over every step you take
Like the slightest breeze will knock you to your knees
Doing your best not to break
Wish I had the words to tell ya, but I got an umbrella
And I think it's big enough, for the both of us
I'll face that wind by your side
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
You know, you and me, we've been thick as thieves
You get cut I feel the pain
We're stuck together, no matter what the weather
And that ain't gonna change
I don't know how long the hurt'll hold on
Or when the sun will shine again
So until then
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
And your skies are blue again
And you're back to you again, my friend
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
The lyrics to Maddie & Tae's song "After the Storm Blows Through" are about offering support and help to someone who is going through a difficult time. The opening lines describe how the person is walking around with a dark cloud hanging over them, making them feel as though the slightest breeze will knock them to their knees. The singer wishes they had the right words to comfort them and tells them that they have an umbrella that is big enough for both of them.
The chorus then reveals the full extent of their support, with the singer promising to face the challenges alongside the person, whether it be the wind or rain, and offering to give them space or time if they need it. The singer assures that they will be there for them after the storm has passed and their skies are once again blue.
The second verse further highlights the bond between the two, with the singer acknowledging the pain they feel when their friend is hurting. They express their commitment to remain steadfast, no matter the weather, as they do not know how long the pain will last.
Overall, the song carries an uplifting and comforting message about the importance of being there for someone during difficult times, and that those trying moments will eventually pass.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been walking around with a dark cloud
You've been carrying a heavy burden or feeling weighed down by something for a while.
Hanging over every step you take
It affects everything you do and consumes your thoughts and emotions.
Like the slightest breeze will knock you to your knees
You feel like you're on the edge of breaking down at any moment.
Doing your best not to break
You're trying to be strong and hold yourself together despite everything.
Wish I had the words to tell ya, but I got an umbrella
I don't know what to say to make things better, but I can offer you comfort and support.
And I think it's big enough, for the both of us
I'm willing to stand by your side and provide the protection and shelter you need.
You know, you and me, we've been thick as thieves
We've been close for a long time and have always had each other's backs.
You get cut I feel the pain
Your pain is my pain, and I am affected by what you're going through.
We're stuck together, no matter what the weather
We're in this together, and I won't abandon you even when things get tough.
And that ain't gonna change
Our bond is strong, and nothing can break it.
I don't know how long the hurt'll hold on
I don't know how long you'll be hurting or when you'll start feeling better.
Or when the sun will shine again
I don't know when things will get better, but I'm here for as long as it takes.
So until then
In the meantime, I'll be there for you in any way I can.
And your skies are blue again
When things start to get better and you start feeling more optimistic and hopeful.
And you're back to you again, my friend
When you start feeling like yourself again, and the pain and hurt are behind you.
After the storm blows through
Once you've weathered this difficult time, I'll still be here by your side.
I'll face that wind by your side
I'll be there with you even when things are difficult and challenging.
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
I'm willing to endure whatever hardships come our way because I care about you.
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need some distance or time to yourself, I'll respect that too.
If you need me to,
I'm here to support and help you in any way you want or need.
But I'll be here for you
Through thick and thin, I'll always be there for you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: AARON SCHERZ, MADDIE MARLOW, TAYLOR ELIZABETH DYE, TRENT WILLMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pamela Kirk
You've been walking around with a dark cloud
Hanging over every step you take
Like the slightest breeze will knock you to your knees
Doing your best not to break
Wish I had the words to tell ya, but I got an umbrella
And I think it's big enough, for the both of us
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
You know, you and me, we've been thick as thieves
You get cut I feel the pain
We're stuck together, no matter what the weather
And that ain't gonna change
I don't know how long the hurt'll hold on
Or when the sun will shine again
So until then...
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
And your skies are blue again
And you're back to you again, my friend
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
Bethany McLaughlin
Lyrics
You've been walking around with a dark cloud
Hanging over every step you take
Like the slightest breeze will knock you to your knees
Doing your best not to break
Wish I had the words to tell ya, but I got an umbrella
And I think it's big enough, for the both of us
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
You know, you and me, we've been thick as thieves
You get cut I feel the pain
We're stuck together, no matter what the weather
And that ain't gonna change
I don't know how long the hurt'll hold on
Or when the sun will shine again
So until then...
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
And your skies are blue again
And you're back to you again, my friend
I'll face that wind by your side
Even take on that rain, I don't mind,
Or give you space or give you time,
If you need me to,
But I'll be here for you
After the storm blows through
Bentley Marie
Maddie and Tae are so unappreciated! Their music is sooo beautiful, their voices harmonize with such grace, and they are drop dead gorgeous!
Adam Shoemake
Fr they are
Lauren Feazel
This song is so important to us. My husband had a stroke. He was 35 and there was no warning that the storm was coming. But this song says it all. I sing it to him constantly because he needs to be reminded that there is a blue sky above this storm and we will see it again. Until then we face this together.
Jennifer Greaney
Their harmonizing is just beautiful!! Their voices were made to be together 😊❤️
Nicole Weiler
Never even heard of these girls and they just managed to blow my mind in less that five seconds flat. Are they related? They've got to be- that harmony is just beyond perfect. It's like the two voices are so in sync that you'd think it's one person. The primary reason I'm so blown away, however, is the sheer effortlessness that exists. Their talent is God-given, and it shows by the way the perfect pitch and tone just flow right out of them without so much as a tensed muscle.
Amazing duo here and I cannot wait to see where their journey takes them. :-)
Courtmillett94
Go buy their album it's full of beautiful songs it's called start here
Courtmillett94
No they are best friends and met through their voice coaches at a event and just hit it off
Courtmillett94
And yes I'm obsessed too
Alayla Horcsog
if you like them you should watch their Fly.
Aaron Cogan
+Kat Young maybe not girl in a country song lol