Behind The Lyrics: You Shoulda Known Better

You said you didn't want me no more

Cause you're tired, you're turned off, and you're bored

You wanna be free wanna do as you please

Aw darlin' I know just what that means

So go and kick them heals on up

Head down to the bar and have a little fun

But there ain't no woman gonna wanna take you home

And you'll spend your nights drunk and alone

Well you shoulda known better than to let me go

Cause now I'm havin' fun on my own

And now you're feeling mighty jealous, a little helpless, a little reckless

Well you shoulda known better than to let me go

Yeah you shoulda known better than to let me go

And now you're beggin' me to come on home

You say you ain't no good at bein' alone

You miss my cookin' and my cleanin', too

And by the way, the bills are due

But I ain't ever gonna walk through that door

Cause I'm sick and tired of doin' your chores

And I don't need no ball and chain

So for me, my dear, it's better this way

I'm sure y'all know by now that I am a huge Loretta Lynn fan. Her music and songwriting has been (and will always be) a huge influence on me as an artist. There is one reason in particular why she is my hero: she accomplished in the 1960's mainstream country industry what many female country artists are struggling to accomplish today. She understood the power of subversion and nuance. She took significant lyrical risks, but she was authentic, honest, and ing everything with a smile, even if she was singing about socking you in the nose (that's the subversive part). She was also able to sing honest and openly about female sexuality.

Maren Morris recently discussed this issue when she said "You either have to sing about being scorned by a lover or sing about thinking a boy is cute and wanting him to notice you. That's about as edgy as you can get." It would appear that many current female artists perhaps feel somewhat stifled when it comes to authentic portrayals of relationships. That's where I think we can all learn a lil something from Loretta.

I am so inspired by Loretta's ability to speak honestly about divorce, heartbreak, judgement, regret, and anger from an authentic female perspective in a way that connects with people, rather than scaring them away. As artists, we should be so lucky to have as many people connect to our work in such a powerful way. "You Shoulda Known Better" is my homage to her. I even threw in a Major II chord in the verses.