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.
Heart They Didn't Break
Maddie & Tae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said, she had class, but she could skip
She'll stop for gas and pick up some wine
But she'll be here by five
Yeah, she'll be here by five
She ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enoughBut someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
She'll help me throw old memories out
Spend a couple of nights there on the couch
She'll keep me off my phone and out of my mind
And she ain't gonna lie
And say it's gonna be alright
She ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Didn't break and never would
Through the bad and through the good
Thank God for friends like that
I guess some things really last
'Cause she ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Yeah, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
The lyrics of Maddie & Tae's "Heart They Didn't Break" depict a story of a person who is going through heartbreak and feeling abandoned by someone they cared about. The singer is expecting a friend to come and support them through this tough time, despite the distance between them. The mention of Ole Miss and the journey of two hundred miles creates an image of anticipation and desperation for comfort.
The song portrays a sense of betrayal and abandonment by someone who left abruptly, causing emotional turmoil and feelings of inadequacy. The singer acknowledges the pain caused by the person who hurt them but finds solace in the fact that their friend is there to help them pick up the pieces. The lyrics express gratitude for the friend who is willing to stand by them during this difficult time, highlighting the importance of true friendship in times of need.
The friend, who is described as being supportive and understanding, is depicted as a pillar of strength for the singer. They are shown to be actively involved in helping the singer move on from the hurt and trauma caused by the other person. The lyrics emphasize the healing power of friendship and the comfort it brings in times of distress and heartache.
In the final paragraphs of the song, the theme of gratitude and resilience shines through as the singer reflects on the enduring nature of true friendship. Despite the pain caused by the person who left, the focus shifts to the unwavering support and care provided by the friend. The lyrics celebrate the unbreakable bond between friends and the profound impact they have in helping mend a wounded heart. Ultimately, the song pays homage to the friends who stand by us, support us, and help us heal, even when they didn't cause the pain in the first place.
Line by Line Meaning
It's two hundred miles from Ole Miss
Being far away, she had to make the effort to come and be there for me
Said, she had class, but she could skip
She sacrificed her own obligations to be by my side when I needed her
She'll stop for gas and pick up some wine
She went out of her way to prepare for our time together, showing her care and thoughtfulness
But she'll be here by five
Despite the distance and obstacles, she promised to be with me as soon as possible
Yeah, she'll be here by five
She reassured me of her presence and support, giving me comfort in a difficult time
She ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She didn't cause the pain and heartache that I am feeling
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
She didn't contribute to my insecurities and self-doubt, but rather uplifted me
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
Even though she didn't cause the hurt, she stepped in to support me and help me heal
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Celebrating the true friends who stand by us in times of need, even if they didn't cause the pain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Anna Hawthorne Vaus, Benjy Lashar Davis, Ryan Beaver
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theharshtruthoutthere
@@chaosdromanah8620 Souls, OUT THERE, we all are after FALSE LOVE.
Mankind has given LOVE a meaning it NEVER HAD.
The way many see love, as sex and kisses and hugs, lust, fornication, abusing one another, homosexuality.
LOVE NEVER WAS THAT!
LOVE IS LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES AND GIVING OUT RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Many are after false love, IT IS TRAGIC.
This world, CARES NOT!
(Have ears hich can hear)
Take a listen what kind of stories people truly tell:
- INSANELY EVIL
- HORRIFIC
Souls, who give “wonderful stories” are often:
- in fear
- deceived
- drugged up
CARE
LOVE
LIFE
IS FOUND ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST!
(Karma = the righteous JUDGMENT OF GOD. Read the bible, it is filled with stories of souls who got "karma". Each of them met their death, as they turned their back to GOD and went and served BAAL. )
@mapuiteauzumaki5398
It's 200 miles from Ole Miss
Said she had class, but she could skip
She'll stop for gas and pick up some wine
But she'll be here by five, yeah, she'll be here by five
She ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
She'll help me throw old memories out
Spend a couple of nights there on the couch
She'll keep me off my phone and out of my mind
And she ain't gonna lie
And say it's gonna be alright
She ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Didn't break and never would
Through the bad and through the good
Thank God for friends like that
I guess some things really last
'Cause she ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Yeah, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
@sidseverino
LYRICS:
It's 200 miles from Ole Miss
Said she had class, but she could skip
She'll stop for gas and pick up some wine
But she'll be here by five, yeah, she'll be here by five
She ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
She'll help me throw old memories out
Spend a couple of nights there on the couch
She'll keep me off my phone and out of my mind
And she ain't gonna lie
And say it's gonna be alright
She ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Didn't break and never would
Through the bad and through the good
Thank God for friends like that
I guess some things really last
'Cause she ain't the one that slammed the door and tore off in a truck
She ain't the one that made me feel like I ain't good enough
But someone's gotta help clean up the mess you went and made
So, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Yeah, here's to friends there to fix a heart they didn't break
Listen to my song "Divine Roses"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkzv9Nzby-k
@Ashleymr47
Love it! I smiled so big when I heard Tae’s voice! Such a beautiful voice hope to hear it more!
@felicia6897
O my gah me too! What a beautiful voice!!
@bryanrobinson1300
Me too!!!! I kept saying come on Tay!!!!
@Kelseaballerini-pr7iu
Love it! Smiled so big when I heard Tae's Voice!Such a beautiful Voice❤hope To hear it more WOW That is Country Hits Every is So Amazing I Love U Maddie&Tae 🤠
@claireevans3131
I agree her voice is amazing I wish she would sing more
@stevecoffaro9668
Is this the first song where she has ever sang lead?
@zoeygillett
Both of your vocals sound amazing! BUT TAE YOU VOICE IS SO BEAUTIFUL IN YOUR SOLO VERSE
@texashazzard7606
This so cool been waiting for Tae to sing lead for a long time!
@83826sarah
I have never understood why she doesn't do more solo parts. I've never really known what her voice sounds like bc she typically only does the harmonizing parts.
@TynakEF
Such unexpected but wonderfull surprise to hear Tae singing alone