Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye never intended to hit a nerve when they sat down on St. Patricks Day and wrote āGirl In A Country Song.ā Merely expressing their own reaction to the reductive tilt of todayās BroCountry, the pair and co-writer Aaron Schwerz shamelessly skewered its Xeroxed stereotypes; āGirlā was as much a lark as it was ever āmeaningful social commentary.ā
Yet the response was so instant and intense, there was no denying it. NPRās āAll Things Consideredā cited Maddie & Tae for āturning heads in different ways with their very first single,ā Rolling Stone cited them as one of ā10 New Artists You Need to Knowā and David Letterman couldnāt get the plucky duo to New York fast enough. Even elevated cultural think-tank The Atlantic marveled, āCheekily appropriating much of the sound of modern country, the two young women directly quote well-known bro-country lyrics and titlesā¦ā
No one was more surprised than the natives of Sugar Land, Texas and Ada, Oklahoma. Still in the studio tracking overdubs for āGirl,ā they signed their record deal before Dan Huff had even finished four sides on the sunshineānāmoxie pair.
āWe wanted to go at it from a girlās perspective, and we wanted to put ourselves in the shoes of this girl,ā says Dye. āYou know, how does she feel wearing those cut-off shorts, sitting on the tailgate?ā
āBoys, we love you, we want to look good, but itās not all weāre good for,ā Marlow cautions with a laugh. āWe are girls with something to say. We were brought up to know how we should be treated.ā
Simple as that. But thereās so much more to Maddie & Tae than the song that is either a feminist declaration, an echo of Janet Jacksonās rebuke āIāve got a name, and it aināt āBabyā,ā or this yearās feel-good finger-wag to dumb boys. NPRās lead pop critic Ann Powers agrees, āMaddie and Tae are more. Theyāre songwriters, powerful harmonizers, and in the video for āGirl In A Country Song,ā natural comediennes.ā
One listen to their self-titled EP shows that. The reeling mean-girl send-up āSierra,ā with its bending steel and trotting acoustic guitar, boasts harmonies that turn in on each other and the kind of truth thatās hilarious and straight-up.
āThere was this beauty-queen bully from high school who sent my friends and I home in tears plenty of times,ā Marlow explains. āIn order to get over it, I had to write a song. So I brought the idea of āSierra,ā and started singing, āI wish I had something nice to sayā¦ā
āTae and our co-writer Aaron Scherz lit up and ran with it.ā
Any one whoās suffered through and survived high school can relate. But the ability to rhyme āSierra, Sierra, life aināt all tiarasā¦ā and taking the rejoinder āyouāre gonna find out karmaās aā¦ā 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 āThat high horse youāre ridingā¦ can buck you off clean,ā then let their harmonies swoop free and high on the outro.
Like a lot of young women, Maddie & Tae grew up on the Dixie Chicksā 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 āa summer camp publishing deal.ā They met Big Machineās SVP of A&R Allison Jones ā and fate stepped in.
As Tae recalls, āShe said, āIf you really want to pursue this, you will need to move to Nashville.ā 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.ā
In 2013, it was decided. The pair relocated ā 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, āOur whole project revolves around keeping it real and being honest. We didnāt 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 sheās going through, and thatās why people connect with her.ā
Listening to the double harmonies over an acoustic guitar hope-strung-over-doubt mid-tempo āFly,ā Maddie & Taeās conviction is evident. Will whatās been built be betrayed? How do you keep the faith when youāre so unsure? Where is the courage to maintain your place when youāre afraid of the outcome?
Not since āWide Open Spacesā has an act embraced the will to grow so unabashedly. In perfect synchronization, Maddie & Tae sing, āKeep on climbing, though the ground might shake, keep on reaching through the limb might break/ weāve come this far, donāt be scared now āCause you can learn to fly on the way downā¦ā
Itās 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 itās also facing the things that scare you ā and having the faith to transcend.
āāFlyā hits home every time we listen to it,ā Dye offers. āWe really wanted to write a song that was, āYou may not have anything figured out, but it doesnāt matter.āā
Indeed. Townes Van Zant wrote, āTo live is to flyā¦ā For Maddie & Tae, their wings are in the music. What they feel, how they live, what they dream ā this is where they rise. One need only listen to the tumbledown hoedown āYour Side of Town,ā thatās 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, āCheekily appropriating much of the sound of modern country,ā there is so much more to Maddie & Tae than that. Independent thinkers, strong livers, hardcore dreamers, the pair are reaching for the sky ā and winking at us all while they do it.
Sometimes, itās the freshest faces and brightest sounds that pull us in. For Maddie & Tae, who embrace real country, itās that merge of whatās right now and what they love that sets them apart/captures our imaginations in the best possible way.
Girl in a Country Song
Maddie & Tae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is only a test)
Well, I wish I had some shoes
On my two bare feet
And it's getting kinda cold
In these painted on cut-off jeans
I hate the way this bikini top chafesDo I really have to wear it all day
Yeah, baby
I hear you over there
On your tailgate whistlin'
Sayin', "Hey, Girl"
But you know I ain't listenin'
'Cause I got a name
And to you, it ain't "pretty little thing"
"Honey", or "baby", yeah
It's driving me red-red-red-red-red-red-redneck crazy
Being the girl in a country song
How in the world did it go so wrong
Like all we're good for is lookin' good for
You and your friends on the weekend, nothin' more
We used to get a little respect
Now we're lucky if we even get
To climb up in your truck
Keep our mouths shut, and ride along
And be the girl in a country song
Well, shakin' my moneymaker
Ain't never made me a dime
And there ain't no sugar for you
Tell me one more time
You gotta get you some of that
Sure, I'll slide on over
But you're gonna get slapped
Ha, these days, it ain't easy bein' that
Girl in a country song
How in the world did it go so wrong
Like all we're good for is lookin' good for
You and your friends on the weekend, nothin' more
We used to get a little respect
Now we're lucky if we even get
To climb up in your truck
Keep our mouths shut, and ride along
And be the girl in a country song
Yep, yep, yeah, baby
Aw, naw, Conway and George Strait
Never did it this way
Back in the old days
All y'all, we ain't a cliche
That ain't no way
To treat a lady
Like a girl in a country song
How in the world did it go so wrong
Like all we're good for is lookin' good for
You and your friends on the weekend, nothin' more
Whoa! We used to get a little respect
Now we're lucky if we even get
To climb up in your truck
Keep our mouths shut, and ride along
Down some old dirt road we don't even want to be on
And be the girl in a country song
Yeah, baby
I ain't your tan-legged Juliet
Can I put on some real clothes now?
Aw, naw
The song "Girl In A Country Song" by Maddie & Tae is a satirical response to the typical representation of women in country music. The lyrics describe the frustration and discomfort of being objectified and reduced to nothing more than a pretty face or a body to be admired. The singer of the song wishes she had shoes on her feet and real clothes to wear instead of being forced to wear a bikini top and cutoff jeans. She takes issue with being addressed in derogatory terms such as "pretty little thing," "honey," or "baby" by men who view her as nothing more than an object.
The chorus of the song asks how it went so wrong for women to be reduced to objects for the entertainment of men. They used to be respected, but now they're lucky if they're even allowed to ride along in a truck and keep their mouths shut. The lyrics reference famous country singers such as Conway Twitty and George Strait to suggest that these men never treated women this way in their songs. The song is a critique of the country music industry and the male-dominated culture that often objectifies women.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I wish I had some shoes
On my two bare feet
I wish I had appropriate footwear for this setting
And it's getting kinda cold
In these painted on cut-off jeans
I am feeling cold because my clothing is not practical
I hate the way this bikini top chafes
Do I really have to wear it all day
I am uncomfortable with this clothing item and wish to remove it
Yeah, baby
General expression of exasperation and frustration
I hear you over there
On your tailgate whistlin'
I am aware of you but do not wish to interact
Sayin', "Hey, Girl"
But you know I ain't listenin'
You have addressed me in a disrespectful and generic manner
'Cause I got a name
And to you, it ain't "pretty little thing"
"Honey", or "baby", yeah
I am an individual deserving of respect and acknowledgement, not generic and belittling pet names
It's driving me red-red-red-red-red-red-redneck crazy
Your behavior is frustrating and stereotypical
Being the girl in a country song
How in the world did it go so wrong
Like all we're good for is lookin' good for
You and your friends on the weekend, nothin' more
Society has reduced women to mere objects of visual appeal, with no value beyond that
We used to get a little respect
Now we're lucky if we even get
To climb up in your truck
Keep our mouths shut, and ride along
And be the girl in a country song
Women have lost the respect they once had, and now are forced to be silent and submissive
Well, shakin' my moneymaker
Ain't never made me a dime
And there ain't no sugar for you
In this shaker of mine
My appearance and actions do not exist solely for your pleasure or monetary gain
Tell me one more time
You gotta get you some of that
Sure, I'll slide on over
But you're gonna get slapped
Ha, these days, it ain't easy bein' that
Your repeated attempts to objectify me are unwanted and will not be tolerated
Yep, yep, yeah, baby
Reaffirming previous statement with emphasis
Aw, naw, Conway and George Strait
Never did it this way
Back in the old days
All y'all, we ain't a cliche
That ain't no way
To treat a lady
Historically, country music treated women with more respect and dignity, and the current behavior is unacceptable
Whoa! We used to get a little respect
Now we're lucky if we even get
To climb up in your truck
Keep our mouths shut, and ride along
Down some old dirt road we don't even want to be on
And be the girl in a country song
Women are trapped in a cycle of objectification and disrespect, with no real agency or autonomy
I ain't your tan-legged Juliet
Can I put on some real clothes now?
Aw, naw
I am not the romanticized and subservient figure you desire, and I am not complying with your expectations
Lyrics Ā© Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Aaron Scherz, Maddie Marlow, Taylor Elizabeth Dye
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@autumnmashburn4841
Can we just talk about how the guy in the overalls was so into his role? I don't think I've ever laughed so hard.
@AteenteenSpirt
I'm terrified! But they have a point!
@delaneyandfriends6984
That is so gos
@xSkipss
Autumn Mashburn
@hsdixiebel
That was disgusting
@fional9906
I actually dated that guy in hs
@kaitlinwhite4918
I love this song and I think everyone in the video has a great sense of humor. Especially the guys, they took the prompt and ran with it in the best way and imo it just brings everything together perfectly.
@lindseypowell6220
I like this
@rachelk7932
Thank God there are still COUNTRY singers like this
@memphissommers4171
Patsy Cline was country. These skanks are Hillbilly Pop.