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.
Bathroom Floor
Maddie & Tae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He done did a number on your soul
It sucks, it's sad
I wish I could but I can't change that
But hey, good news
We've all been there a time or two
And one thing I've learned
Is it's gonna be hard, but trust me, girl
Get up off the bathroom floor
Let's wipe the tears off your cheeks
Put on a dress and get out that door
Girl, the first shot's on me
Let's jump into a cab downtown
Let a sexy man spin you around
Let's show that heart some neon magic
'Til we're drunk and laughing
Back on the bathroom floor
No, it ain't your fault
He couldn't see you're beautiful, his loss
So put on your high heels
I bet you're gonna love the way it feels
To get up off the bathroom floor
Let's wipe the tears off your cheeks
Put on a dress and get out that door
Girl, the first shot's on me
Let's jump into a cab downtown
Let a sexy man spin you around
Let's show that heart some neon magic
'Til we're drunk and laughing
Back on the bathroom floor
Back on the bathroom floor
So get up (get up)
Come on, girl (come on, girl)
So get up (get up)
Come on girl, come on, girl
Get up off the bathroom floor
Let's wipe the tears off your cheeks
Put on a dress and get out that door
Girl, the first shot's on me
Let's jump into a cab downtown
Let a sexy man spin you around
Let's show that heart some neon magic
'Til we're drunk and laughing
Back on the bathroom floor
Get up
Come on, girl
Get up
Come on, girl
Get up
Come on, girl
Get up
Come on, girl
The song "Bathroom Floor" by Maddie & Tae is an empowering anthem for anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak. The opening lines acknowledge the pain and sadness that the person is feeling, but then the lyrics shift to a message of hope and encouragement. The singer reminds the person that they are not alone and that everyone has been through tough times. The chorus urges the person to get up off the bathroom floor, wipe away their tears, and go out and have some fun. The song suggests that the best medicine for heartbreak is to surround oneself with friends, go out and have a good time, and find happiness despite the pain.
The lyrics of "Bathroom Floor" are simple but powerful, and they demonstrate the compassion and empathy that Maddie & Tae bring to their music. The song is relatable to anyone who has gone through a difficult breakup or loss, and it speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak. The chorus is catchy and easy to sing along with, and it's clear that the song is meant to be a source of strength and healing for anyone who needs it.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, I know
I understand what you're going through
He done did a number on your soul
He caused emotional damage to you
It sucks, it's sad
It's a horrible feeling
I wish I could but I can't change that
I can't change what happened
But hey, good news
Here's something positive
We've all been there a time or two
Many others have gone through the same thing
And one thing I've learned
From personal experience, I know
Is it's gonna be hard, but trust me, girl
It won't be easy, but believe me
Get up off the bathroom floor
Stop feeling defeated and rise up
Let's wipe the tears off your cheeks
Let's remove the physical evidence of your pain
Put on a dress and get out that door
Get dressed up and go outside
Girl, the first shot's on me
I'll buy your first drink
Let's jump into a cab downtown
Let's go to the city and have fun
Let a sexy man spin you around
Dance with a handsome gentleman
Let's show that heart some neon magic
Let's have a good time and forget our troubles
'Til we're drunk and laughing
Have a fun and carefree time together
No, it ain't your fault
It's not your fault that he couldn't appreciate you
He couldn't see you're beautiful, his loss
He missed out on a great person
So put on your high heels
Wear something that makes you feel confident
I bet you're gonna love the way it feels
You'll enjoy feeling good about yourself
Get up
Don't stay down
Come on, girl
You got this
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joshua Peter Kerr, Madison Kay Marlow, Taylor Elizabeth Dye
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danielagalleta3548
[Lyrics]
Girl, I know
He done did a number on your soul
It sucks, it's sad
I wish I could but I can't change that
But hey, good news
We've all been there a time or two
And one thing I've learned
Is it's gonna be hard but trust me girl
Get up off the bathroom floor
Let's wipe the tears off your cheeks
Put on a dress and get out that door
Girl, the first shot's on me
Let's jump into a cab downtown
Let a sexy man spin you around
Let's show that heart some neon magic
'Til we're drunk and laughing
Back on the bathroom floor
No, it ain't your fault
He couldn't see you're beautiful, his loss
So put on your high heels
I bet ya gonna love the way it feels
To get up off the bathroom floor
Let's wipe the tears off your cheeks
Put on a dress and get out that door
Girl, the first shot's on me
Let's jump into a cab downtown
Let a sexy man spin you around
Let's show that heart some neon magic
'Til we're drunk and laughing
Back on the bathroom floor
Back on the bathroom floor
So get up (get up)
Come on girl (come on girl)
Get up (get up)
Come on girl, come on girl
Get up off the bathroom floor
Let's wipe the tears off your cheeks
Put on a dress and get out that door
Girl, the first shot's on me
Let's jump into a cab downtown
Let a sexy man spin you around
Let's show that heart some neon magic
'Til we're drunk and laughing
Back on the bathroom floor
Get up
Come on girl
Get up
Come on girl
Get up
Come on girl
Get up
Come on girl
@mochi136
Helping another sister out after a tragic moment? That’s a girl that everyone needs 💖
@juliachan8421
yes!! girls empowering other girls!
@sophiamarmo
we gotta stick together
@bradydefelice2944
Right on ✊
@markhottman2652
@Anime Lover honey the Almighty is always with us. What ever the tragic event was Let God lift you out of it! Cheers County Gal 🇺🇸
@sunflower901
yep
@morgancashman4132
I love how the beginning of the video is a continuation of Die from a Broken Heart!
@JuliannaDimino
And the guy crying at the end was played by the same guy as Die From a Broken Heart!!!
@morgancashman4132
Anxiety Girl ooh! I didn’t notice that before! Good eyes!
@vinaykaushik5945
bro this technique is far better , anti-Slip with Suction Cup Bathroom Floor Mat : https://youtu.be/SDegY9YzzT0