The House That Built Me
Miranda Lambert Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know they say you can't go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam
But these hand prints on the front steps are mine
Up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
And I bet you didn't know, under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it's like I'm someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave
Won't take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazine
Plans were drawn, and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it's like I'm someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave
Won't take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can
I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it's like I'm someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around I swear I'll leave




Won't take nothing but a memory
From the house that, built me

Overall Meaning

Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me" tells a story of returning to one's roots and reconnecting with their past. The song follows a narrator who seeks out the house she grew up in as a way to reconcile with her inner turmoil. As she approaches the unfamiliar owner, she reveals her personal connection to the property by explaining the fingerprints on the front porch steps belong to her. She then proceeds to reminisce about her childhood, specifically the moments she shared with her family and her deceased pet dog buried under the live oak tree in the backyard.


The singer's reminiscing highlights the temporal distance between her past and present, further complicating her search for solace. She believes that by reconnecting to the place she calls home, she can patch up the "brokenness" inside her. However, as she navigates the space, she discovers that something is missing. Lambert infers that the "something" is her former self that got lost while trying to "[move] on and [do] the best" she could. The singer understands that the way forward is to accept the memories that the house holds, let go of the burden she's been carrying, and start anew.


Line by Line Meaning

I know they say you can't go home again
It is said that revisiting one's childhood home is impossible


I just had to come back one last time
I had an overwhelming desire to return here for the final time


Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam
I realize that you and I are strangers who have never met before


But these hand prints on the front steps are mine
I left my hand prints on the front steps when I was a child


Up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
The little back bedroom upstairs was where I spent my time doing homework and playing guitar


Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
I did my homework during most of my free time at that place and also learned how to play guitar there successfully


And I bet you didn't know, under that live oak
I am guessing you didn't know that my favorite dog is buried under the live oak in the yard


My favorite dog is buried in the yard
The yard contains the burial site of my beloved dog who was very dear to me


I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
I had a belief that getting in touch with this place and feeling it physically would be beneficial for me


This brokenness inside me might start healing
This might help me with the sadness in my soul to begin to heal


Out here it's like I'm someone else
When I am outside of this real estate property, I feel like a different or a new person


I thought that maybe I could find myself
I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could rediscover myself again


If I could just come in I swear I'll leave
All I am seeking is a chance to come inside and then I will exit when it's time to go


Won't take nothing but a memory
I don't need anything but a memory of being here to take with me


Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
For many years, my mother collected pictures of houses from magazines


From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazine
The specific publication my mother got the pictures of houses from was 'Better Homes and Garden' magazine


Plans were drawn, and concrete poured
After coming up with a plan, the construction process of this house began with pouring the foundation in concrete


Nail by nail and board by board
This house was built slowly, each nail and board added in one by one


Daddy gave life to mama's dream
My father built this house to bring my mother's vision to life


You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can
As we grow up and leave home, we do our best to move forward and make a life for ourselves


I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am
At some point, I became lost in the world and lost sight of who I truly am




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Allen Shamblin, Tom Douglas

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@alyssasorlien147

Christian Sorlien Benefit

By now I am sure that most of you have heard that Christian Sorlien had a house fire on Monday, March 31st. The family has lost all belongings within the house and the house is a total loss. His girlfriend, her two daughters and his daughter Alyssa were home at the time and were able to get out without injuries. The reason for the fire is yet to be determined but it was not due the wood stove and the extremely windy day.

Christian was in Kansas trucking at the time. He was not able to see the damage until the next day. It is a very devastating thing to go through. A savings account has been set up in his name at the Menno State Bank. This is a savings account that will not be touched until the day when he moves a new house in and the moving bills need to be paid. We are hoping to help build a foundation for a house to be moved onto. All plans are tentative and being looked into at this moment. Regardless of what decision will be made, we have decided to start this savings account to help him reach the capability of creating a new home for his family. As of right now they are all staying with relatives and trying to sort through their ideas of creating a home for them to return to.

Christian comes from a large family and has many friends. It is at a time like this that we need to depend on others. I thank God for our large family and know that God has blessed us all for a reason. So lets be real and know that it is all very RELATIVE that we pitch in the best we can to help Christian build a new FOUNDATION for his family to create new beginnings. This is an opportunity to pay it forward and do some mission work in our own local neighborhood. Good things can come from bad and we need to make it happen. Please consider joining us in building up this savings account that will help make new dreams come true and the past heal in a loving way.

All donations can be sent directly to the Menno State Bank , PO Box 345, Menno, S.D., 57045. The checks should be made out to Christian Sorlien Benefit. 

Thank the Lord each day for family, friends and the blessings we receive daily. May God Bless All Of You! Thanks for your time. 

P.S. If there are any questions please contact Denise Willman at 605-665-2869 or denisewillman@hotmail.com

We received your email addresses from Shery Frey and please let siblings and family members know of this fund raiser as we do not have everyones address



All comments from YouTube:

@snoyes5687

The verse “ my favorite dog is buried in the yard” crushes me every time. One of the best songs ever written.

@fck_jsph

This part always gets to me. The first memory I have was me and my sister getting our first dogs at our old house. 😢

@ericjackson4252

The verse crushes me also… The sad part is I’m going to have another favorite Dog buried in my yard.

@johntaylor6749

1:17 will never leave my mind :-(

@joe-ul5pg

I know I’m thinking about my dog now and do think about one day that will,have to happen it makes me sad 😢😢

@jennyhammond9261

Right!!! You'd think after the first time you hear it, you'd not feel it, but it hits every time!

19 More Replies...

@2fatheads1irishgrl12

On point, I can't control the ferlings that come over me every time . What a great song, and Miranda is an amazing artist.

@AaronTillery

FERLINGS????

@johnspinelli9396

One of the best country songs ever written. I tear up everytime i hear it. Reminds me of my childhood

@barrylejeune7784

You know, I can't hardly remember a thing when I was a child, that's why just one photograph can do wonders! Check out the song by: (Deff Leppard "PHOTOGRAPH"...😃

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