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.
Woman You Got
Maddie & Tae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A whole lotta people watched it all go down
There's some things I gotta put out on the table
'Cause time won't take it's time to rat me out
I talk smack
I make messes
I win breadI'm kinda selfish
Don't trust
Me in the kitchen
Don't dare me
I ain't chicken
You say you love me, I know you love me
Love that you love me, baby
I know you know me, but if I know me
I'm gonna drive you crazy
The thing about me is I'm always getting better
The truth is, boy, it might take forever but
When it comes to loving you I'm never gonna stop
And that's the kind of woman you got
Hmm, yeah
I'm a constant roller coaster of emotions
And by the time you think you've got 'em figured out
Mmm, there's a layer underneath another layer
Will they ever end? I even have my doubts
I lose my phone
Can't hold my liquor
To a fault
I ain't a quitter
I like dogs
I ain't perfect
I'm a perfector
You say you love me, I know you love me
Love that you love me, baby
I know you know me, but if I know me
I'm gonna drive you crazy
The thing about me is I'm always getting better
The truth is, boy, it might take forever but
When it comes to loving you I'm never gonna stop
And that's the kind of woman you got
That's the kind of woman you got, babe
Baby, you put a ring on a wild thing
You say you love me, I know you love me
Love that you love me, baby
I know you know me, but if I know me
I'm gonna drive you crazy
The thing about me is I'm always getting better
The truth is, boy, it might take forever but
When it comes to loving you I'm never gonna stop
And that's the kind of woman you got
That's the kind of woman you got, baby
The song "Woman You Got" by Maddie & Tae is an ode to the complexities of a woman and a declaration of love to the person who has accepted and embraced all sides of her. The first verse says it all - “Baby, you put a ring on a wild thing, A whole lotta people watched it all go down”. The woman in question is independent, free-spirited and unapologetically herself. She has her quirks, her strengths, and her weaknesses, and she's not afraid to show them. Her partner, on the other hand, understands and accepts all of her, even the parts that others might find difficult.
The lyrics go on to give a list of things about the woman that may not always work in her favor but make her who she is. She talks back, she messes up, and she can be selfish, but she's upfront about it. She's also not one to bow down to challenges, as can be seen in the line "Don't dare me, I ain't chicken". The chorus reiterates the fact that while she can be difficult to handle, her partner loves her and accepts her for who she is. She's always evolving, learning and growing but she will never stop loving him.
Overall the song celebrates the idea of embracing one's true self and being accepted wholeheartedly. The woman depicted in the song is quirky, unpredictable, and wild, but her partner loves her anyway. It's a relatable message to anyone who has felt misunderstood or less than perfect, but has found someone who loves them for their imperfections.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you put a ring on a wild thing
You have committed to someone who is unpredictable and spontaneous
A whole lotta people watched it all go down
Many people witnessed our engagement
There's some things I gotta put out on the table
I need to be upfront and honest about certain things
'Cause time won't take it's time to rat me out
If I don't tell you now, time will reveal the truth eventually
I talk smack
I sometimes engage in gossip or negative talk
I make messes
I'm not always neat or organized
I win bread
I am successful and provide for myself financially
I'm kinda selfish
I can be focused on my own needs or wants over others
Don't trust me in the kitchen
I may not be the best cook and could mess things up
Don't dare me
Challenging me can result in me taking risks or doing something crazy
I ain't chicken
I am brave and willing to take on challenges or confrontations
You say you love me, I know you love me
I am aware that you love me
Love that you love me, baby
I appreciate that you love me
I know you know me, but if I know me
You understand me well, but there are times where even I don't understand myself
I'm gonna drive you crazy
My behavior may frustrate or confuse you
The thing about me is I'm always getting better
I am always improving and striving to be the best version of myself
The truth is, boy, it might take forever but
It may take a long time for me to fully change or grow
When it comes to loving you I'm never gonna stop
I will continue to love you unconditionally
And that's the kind of woman you got
You have a woman who is imperfect but constantly improving and devoted to you
I'm a constant roller coaster of emotions
My feelings can be intense and unpredictable
And by the time you think you've got 'em figured out
Just when you think you understand my emotions, they may shift again
There's a layer underneath another layer
My emotions may be deeper and more complex than they appear
Will they ever end? I even have my doubts
I question whether my emotions will ever truly be fully understood or controlled
I lose my phone
I am forgetful or absent-minded at times
Can't hold my liquor
I am not good at drinking alcohol
To a fault
My negative qualities can sometimes be excessive
I ain't a quitter
I am tenacious and do not give up easily
I like dogs
I have a fondness for dogs
I'm a collector
I enjoy collecting things
I ain't perfect
I have flaws and imperfections
I'm a perfector
However, I am constantly working to improve myself
That's the kind of woman you got, babe
You have a woman who may have her faults, but is committed to bettering herself and loving you unconditionally
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Laura Jeanne Veltz, Maddie Font, Mark L. Holman, Taylor Kerr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tiffanyjones280
Me and my best friend were in the car singing at the top of our lungs when she introduced me to this song. It has quickly become one of my favorites❤. THANK YOU MADDIE AND TAE LOVE YALL'S VOICES AND MUSIC
@caintiger
No idea why they don't get more airplay on the radio. These girls are amazing..
@WellKnownBee
They aren’t picture perfect gals, not what men want to listen to i feel like. They deserve better!!
@tiffanyjones280
Well behaved woman rarely make history. -Eleanor Roosevelt
@matheush.morroniamaral8412
This song describes with perfection what is like to have a relationship with an ADHD. It's a great song.
@evatarl
This music video is WAY better then I would have ever imagined!
@eminemghostwriter8039
https://youtu.be/uUAMm4gA-Zo
@ericarohde4168
It's too cute!
@sarahlarkin6961
This cracks me up so much! When I do find someone, they will love the hot mess I am 😅
@williamwilder9459
This is Reba McEntire’s former Tennessee Estate....