Girls With Guitars
Wynonna Judd Lyrics


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She turned fifteen with great expectations
Her older brother knew somethin' was up
He caught her going through his record collection
Lookin' at Hendricks like a love sick pup
She begged and she pleaded 'till Dad finally listened
He drove her in the car down to Sears Roebuck
He bought her that guitar and that was the beginning
Now she's down in the cellar with the amp turned up

Girls with guitars
Daddy's little angel
Girls with guitars
What's the world coming to?
Girls with guitars
Mothers tend to worry about
Girls with guitars

Well, Saturday nights she followed her brother
It was socks and stockings on the old gym floor
While everybody danced to garage band covers
She was checking out riffs and memorizing chords
She didn't care at all for the football heroes
She didn't even notice the basketball stars
Boys as a species were all a bunch of zeroes
Except for the ones that played that guitar

Girls with guitars
She wasn't any debutante
Girls with guitars
She didn't go out for cheerleading
Girls with guitars
Boys are kinda nervous 'round
Girls with guitars

She went off to college, she got her degree
Her parents breathed a sigh of great relief
Daddy's thinking law school, Mother's thinking medicine
Daughter's thinking how she's gonna break the news to them

Now there's an old Chevy van just sitting in the driveway
Filled to the gills with all her stuff
She cut a deal with her brother to drive up the highway
Figures New York City is close enough
She gets the audition through a friend of a friend




Who's checking out her legs saying, "This will never work!"
She flips on her boogie and turns

Overall Meaning

Girls with Guitars by Wynonna Judd is a song about a girl who fell in love with music and the guitar. The song speaks about how this girl, at the age of fifteen, was caught by her older brother going through his record collection, particularly admiring Hendrix, as if she was "a love-sick pup." Despite her brother's reservations, her father bought her a guitar, and it marked the beginning of her musical journey. The singer is shown as being a bit of a rebel, going against what her parents might have wanted for her by choosing music instead of going to law or medical school, which her parents were hoping for her.


The song also highlights the societal pressure where girls are mostly not expected to show interest in guitars or rock music; instead, they are expected to be docile and follow traditional expectations of playing dress-up or being cheerleaders. The singer, however, doesn't care about these societal expectations and follows her passion for music, becoming an accomplished guitarist. The song portrays the guitar as an escape for the singer, something that brings her joy and a sense of empowerment.


Overall, Girls with Guitars is an inspiring song about following one's passion and breaking barriers. It encourages young girls to pursue their interests, whether it's music or something else, and not worry about societal expectations.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARY CARPENTER, MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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