Williams and White met in 2008, during a song-writing session or "writing camp" at a music studio in Nashville, Tennessee. According to Williams, the idea for the band's name came as she "was driving around town looking at all the Civil War monuments." Their first recording was of a 2009 performance at Eddie's Attic in Georgia which they released as a free Internet download called Live at Eddie's Attic. Later that year, they released a digital extended-play album, called Poison & Wine, produced by Charlie Peacock, and the title song appeared on the TV show Grey's Anatomy.
In 2011, The Civil Wars released the album Barton Hollow; which reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart, No. 54 on the UK Albums Chart and received Grammy nominations in the Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance categories. The album was included on several critics' Best Albums of 2011 lists, including NPR Music, Paste, Time, Associated Press, AllMusic.com The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and USA Today. They released the singles "Tracks in the Snow" and "Safe & Sound".
In 2012, The Civil Wars partnered with T-Bone Burnett on the film score for the documentary A Place At The Table (previously known as Finding North) and collaborated on the song "Lily Love" with The Chieftains. They released a 7" vinyl album with cover versions of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Portishead's "Sour Times" in April. The duo was featured in American Way magazine, USA Today, on the cover of Billboard, and released a photo book called To Whom It May Concern.
In November 2012, the duo went on hiatus, citing "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition". In August 2014, The Civil Wars announced an official break-up through press release.
I Had Me a Girl
The Civil Wars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who taught me those things
A young man should know
Down, down on my knees
I'd beg and I'd plead
To learn a little bit more
Oh that woman taught me to pray
I saw Heaven every day
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I, I had me a boy
Who buttoned me down
Threw me a line
He, he washed me as clean
As a sinner could be
Showed me the light
Ooo that boy, he taught me to pray
But for all of his spit-shinin' ways
Lord, he could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I had me a girl
Like cigarette smoke
She came and she went
I slipped through his hands
To my back door man
Under his chin
Oh that woman taught me to pray
But for all her wandering ways
She could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh [Repeat]
The Civil Wars' song "I Had Me a Girl" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that explores the theme of learning and growth through relationships. The lyrics portray three different relationships: one with a woman, one with a man, and one with a cheating partner. Each of these relationships teaches the singer something important about life or themselves.
In the first verse, the singer talks about a woman who taught him how to pray and see heaven every day. The woman seems to have had a profound impact on his spiritual life, and he reflects on the positive changes she brought to his life.
The second verse shifts the focus to a man who washed away the singer's sins and showed them the light. This verse seems to be about redemption and finding hope through someone else's love.
The last verse is about a woman who came and went like cigarette smoke. The singer ended up cheating on the man who had taught him how to pray, with a "back door man." It seems that this relationship taught the singer about the consequences of cheating and unfaithfulness.
One interesting interpretation of the song is that it is about the different people who come into our lives and shape us in different ways. Each relationship teaches us something new and helps us grow in different areas of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I had me a girl
I used to have a girl in my life
Who taught me those things
She taught me a lot of things
A young man should know
All the important things a young man should know
Down, down on my knees
I was on my knees, begging and pleading to her
I'd beg and I'd plead
I begged and pleaded a lot
To learn a little bit more
To gain a little bit more knowledge or experience
Oh that woman taught me to pray
She taught me to pray and brought me closer to God
I saw Heaven every day
She made me feel like I was in heaven every day
Lord, she could
She was truly amazing
Oooooooo
This is a vocalization, not a word
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
This is a vocalization, not a word
I, I had me a boy
I also had a boy in my life
Who buttoned me down
He helped me control myself and stay grounded
Threw me a line
He threw me a rope to save me when I was in trouble
He, he washed me as clean
He washed away all my impurities and made me feel pure
As a sinner could be
As much as any sinner could be cleansed
Showed me the light
He showed me the way to enlightenment and understanding
Ooo that boy, he taught me to pray
He brought me closer to God as well
But for all of his spit-shinin' ways
Even though he seemed perfect on the outside
Lord, he could
He was still amazing in his own way
Oooooooo
This is a vocalization, not a word
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
This is a vocalization, not a word
I had me a girl
I had yet another girl in my life
Like cigarette smoke
She was there one moment and gone the next
She came and she went
She was very transient in my life
I slipped through his hands
I left the boy and went to someone else
To my back door man
I went to a man who was always there for me, simple and reliable
Under his chin
I was in his embrace
Oh that woman taught me to pray
She also brought me closer to God
But for all her wandering ways
Even though she was always on the move
She could
She was still amazing in her own way
Oooooooo
This is a vocalization, not a word
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
This is a vocalization, not a word
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOY WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gizem DUMAN
I had me a girl
Who taught me those things
A young man should know
Down, down on my knees
I’d beg and I’d plead
To learn a little bit more
Oh that woman taught me to pray
I saw Heaven every day
Lord, she could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I had me a boy
Who buttoned me down
Drew me a line
He, he washed me as clean
As a sinner could be
Showed me the light
Oh that boy, he taught me to pray
But for all of his spit-shinin’ ways
Lord, he could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I had me a girl
Like cigarette smoke
She came and she went
I slipped through his hands
To my back door man
Under his chin
Oh that woman taught me to pray
But for all her wandering ways
She could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
Lauren Eklund
They sound just as good live...so rare :) Amazing job!
sharon dianne
They are awesome. They have a funky country beat to their music. Love them
Gizem DUMAN
I had me a girl
Who taught me those things
A young man should know
Down, down on my knees
I’d beg and I’d plead
To learn a little bit more
Oh that woman taught me to pray
I saw Heaven every day
Lord, she could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I had me a boy
Who buttoned me down
Drew me a line
He, he washed me as clean
As a sinner could be
Showed me the light
Oh that boy, he taught me to pray
But for all of his spit-shinin’ ways
Lord, he could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I had me a girl
Like cigarette smoke
She came and she went
I slipped through his hands
To my back door man
Under his chin
Oh that woman taught me to pray
But for all her wandering ways
She could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
Emine Çeker
Teşekkürleer! c:
Kibabuff
Gizem DUMAN thank you so much
ᚾᛖᛁᛚ • ᛗᛖᚨᛞᛟᚹᛋ
Thank you!!! 😉
ᚾᛖᛁᛚ • ᛗᛖᚨᛞᛟᚹᛋ
@Gentlemen Of Fortune brill!!! 😅😅😅
Lane Smith
this song has given me the chills the past 4 times I've listened to it, great job the civil wars!
Brandon Yannayon
Big fan for several years of this group. I use music like theirs to help me with photoshoots. It creates a great vibe in the studio.
Merlinda
i get so into that song that by the second verse no matter where i am i start stamping my feet and singing out loud