With Miranda Lambert’s huge success of winning the Best Country Album Award at the Grammys for her album Platinum, I began reminiscing on some of her old albums and decided to compile a playlist of my all time favorite Miranda Lambert songs, although there’s no way I can fit ALL of my favorites I’ll do my best!
“Gunpowder & Lead” has to be one of my absolute favorites. Growing up Lambert’s family took in abused women and children. She wrote this song for those women, describing how she herself would handle an abusive relationship. Although it covers a dark topic the song is a kickass girl power jam.
“Mama’s Broken Heart” was actually given to Lambert by Kacey Musgraves, one of the original writers along with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. It’s about a girl who gets her heart broken and starts acting out because of it. When people in the town notice the girl’s behavior her mom is informed and tries to put her in line. I love this song because it perfectly describes the crazy emotions that go through your head when you get your heart broken. I actually got to see Brandy Clark perform this when she opened for Jennifer Nettles this past summer!
“Only Prettier” is one of Lambert’s snarkiest songs, written about two groups of girls that cannot get along and think the absolute worst of one another. The song is about Lambert’s group of friends saying the only difference between the two groups is that hers is prettier.
“I Wanna Die” describes the singer’s relationship with a guy who she knows is a complete jerk, but wants him anyways. This song is super relatable for just about any girl on the planet.
Now we transition to a group of deeper, more meaningful songs. The song “Over You” was actually written by Lambert and Blake Shelton about Shelton’s old brother, who was killed in a car accident when he was a teenager. Lambert added the song to her album Four the Record to honor Shelton and his brother’s memory.
“The House That Built Me” holds the biggest personal connection for me. Written about a young woman going back to the house she grew up in to visit and try to find a small piece of the person she used to be. When this song first started playing on the radio my mom always told me it reminded her of me because she knew I was going to grow up and leave home (Virginia) someday.
I’ve always loved “Famous in a Small Town.” My dad grew up in a small town and whenever we go back to Alabama to visit I’m constantly reminded of this song. Everyone knows everything about everyone else. This past summer I went to the mall with my dad and my aunt and they saw at least 2 people they knew in EVERY. SINGLE. STORE. It was the longest shopping day I’ve ever had, needless to say this song is not an over exaggeration.
One of Miranda Lambert’s newer songs, “Automatic,” is another great track. I love it because it’s one of those songs that brings you back to your roots. It reminds us all of simpler times before we had internet to do everything and before we started living in this “instant” society. I think it’s a great reminder that we need to work for the good things in life.
Kerosene is by far my favorite Miranda Lambert album, and as many of you may know it was her first album. All of the songs on the album are very simple, such as “I Can’t Be Bothered,” “New Strings,” “Kerosene,” “Me and Charlie Talking,” and “Bring Me Down.” These songs make me think of the battle between the Texas Country and Nashville Country subgenres that we’ve been discussing in class. This album is very much Texas Country and each song has a very raw sound.
Miranda Lambert has been very successful with 5 hit albums, countless music awards, and years of sold out tours. She is a strong woman with admirable morals and amazing talent. Her country music style changes with each album and I can’t wait to see what she does next. What are some of your favorite Miranda Lambert songs? Leave them in the comments below!
I think it is absolutely perfect you started this post with “ Gunpowder & Lead” because this song has a very special place in my heart. I think it is important for artist to connect with their listeners so that there is a relationship when you hear them on the radio or their new album. I have always been a Miranda fan, because even though she is a Nashville artist she sings about topics I can relate to. It also helps that she has a strong, hard ass personality that I admire. I think my motto is “I can do it” and if you ask me Miranda has that motto too.
I love that you made a playlist of Miranda Lambert songs, because if you ask me she epitomizes girl power and is a great example of a successful female artist in the predominantly male country music industry. She shows that you can be a strong woman with good principles, not just the stereotypical “country girl” described in bro country summertime songs. Songs like “Gunpowder and Lead” are all about powerful women, and “The House that Built Me” and “Everybody Dies Famous in a Small Town” are all about sticking with your roots and I really think Miranda has not been seriously affected by fame, and is still down to earth because she makes these songs.
I think this was a great idea to make a Miranda Lambert playlist. I went on a road trip this past weekend with my two best friends and I think we listened to Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert songs for at least 3 hours straight. They are so easy to love and sing too, which is perfect for a long road trip. I drove for a good portion of it and they helped keep me awake at the wheel. I also really enjoyed how you provided a little summary/background information on each song. All of her songs have such a strong story behind them. All of her songs are so relatable and very much a great example of showing strong girl power, as Madison commented above.
I’m kind of embarrassed that I really only know two of these songs — “Gunpowder and Lead” and “Automatic.” I would probably listen to Miranda more if she wasn’t EVERYWHERE. That tends to put me off.