Kacey Musgraves has reinvented a genre.
Aside from three self-released albums, the country princess only has two albums released with her label: "Same Trailer, Different Park" (2013) and "Pageant Material" (2015). But, she has entirely reshaped the face of country music in a short amount of time. The 27-year-old from Golden, Texas, has already recorded a song with country great Willie Nelson, has nearly sell-out crowds at every venue on tour, and has already snagged two Grammys since bursting onto the scene just a few years ago with her first hit, "Merry Go 'Round."
"Merry Go 'Round" is just one of her songs dripping in originality and uniqueness. Her lyrics play on words and shamelessly poke fun at the small-town Southern lifestyle, as well as help you fall in love or fall out of it. You'll let out a few chuckles during one song, and let a few tears fall during the next. She sings about the real stuff, and is truly a breath of fresh air to the music industry. There is no one else out there like Kacey, and certainly nothing else out there like her songs and lyrics. She knows just how to say the things we ourselves can't find the words for.
Her songs are smart, sharp, funny, heartbreaking and deep. Here are just 13 of her jaw-dropping lyrics.
"We've all got dirty laundry hangin' on the line...Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy." ("Biscuits," "Pageant Material") A great philosophy we should all learn to follow: stick to yourself and your own problems (because we've all got plenty) and you'll be just dandy.
"Got the sunshine on my shoulders / Got a fistful of four leaf clovers / Yeah my cup runneth over / My sky is blue / Been kissed by Lady Luck / The stars are all lined up / Every arrow that I aim is true / But I miss you." ("I Miss You," "Same Trailer, Different Park") Everything can be going perfectly for us, but without that special someone in our lives, it doesn't add up. Maybe it ended on bad terms; perhaps it just wasn't meant to be, but there'll always be a special place in our lives for this person, who we want to celebrate all those successes with.
"They own too much wicker and drink too much liquor / You'd wash your hands of them, but blood's always thicker / You might look just like 'em / That don't mean you're like 'em / But you love 'em / Family is family." ("Family is Family," "Pageant Material") Ahh, family. We hate to love them sometimes. In one of her funnier songs, Kacey preaches to the fact that they may drive us up the wall, embarrass us, and cause copious amounts of drama, but at the end of the day, who else has your back?
"Same hurt in every heart / Same trailer / Different park / Mama's hooked on Mary Kay / Brother's hooked on Mary Jane / Daddy's hooked on Mary two doors down / Mary, Mary, quite contrary / We get bored / So we get married / And just like dust we settle in this town / On this broken merry go 'round." ("Merry Go 'Round," "Same Trailer, Different Park") A song written in an extremely clever fashion, "Merry Go 'Round" speaks to life in a small town: we all feel the same emotions, experience the same things, and try to escape it all the same. Redundancy is the name of the game in these towns, living life in circles just like a merry go 'round.
"And who needs a crowd when you're happy at a party for two? / The world can wait / Cause I'm never late to the party / If I'm late to the party with you." ("Late To The Party," "Pageant Material") Nothing feels more like home than our significant others. The hook-up and partying days are long behind us, and while we love our friends, most of the time we just want to stay at home and snuggle on the couch. We're happy and nothing else really matters.
"Sticks and stones / May build a throne / But you’ll be up there all alone / So step off." ("Step Off," "Same Trailer, Different Park") At any age, it seems drama is bound to happen. This brilliant line plays on the old adage we'd always heard as kids: "Sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Always take the high road and leave the drama to those who don't know any better.
"I'm happy with what I got / Cause what I got is all I need / Just cause it don't cost a lot, don't cost a lot / Don't mean it's cheap."("Dime Store Cowgirl," "Pageant Material") We should never try to seem more than we are, is what Kacey is trying to get at with this song. Don't let anyone tell you that you and/or what you have isn't good enough, because most times, simplicity is what's best. Be content with what you have and stay close to your roots.
"Woke up on the wrong side of rock bottom / You're all out of pennies and the well it done run dry / You'd light 'em up and smoke 'em if you had 'em / But you just ain't got 'em / Yeah, ain't we always looking for a bluer sky? / If you're ever gonna find a silver lining / It's gotta be a cloudy day." ("Silver Lining," "Same Trailer, Different Park") We have to work hard to get what we want; it won't just come to us by doing nothing. We can hope and hope and hope for things to happen, but "If you wanna find a four-leaf clover / You gotta get a little dirt on your hands." We all have to start at the bottom and earn it. Life doesn't owe us anything, and it can certainly put us through the ringer, but good things come to those who don't wait and work hard.
"Your neighbor's dirty laundry's cleaner / And the wolf at your door's always meaner / The sky's still grey when the sun's around / But you can't set sail with your anchor down / And you can't win unless you lose / You try to tell me you want happiness / But you ain't happy unless / You're miserable." ("Miserable," "Pageant Material") We all know someone who always thinks they have it worse, even though they have it just fine. This person always brings their gray raincloud around wherever they go. Kacey goes on to say, "If misery loves company, then I can't keep you company no more." Never hold on to people who only radiate negative vibes and energy. Let them learn that lesson for themselves.
"But I ain't got no one sleeping with me / And you ain't got nowhere that you need to be / Maybe I love you / Maybe I'm just kind of bored / It is what it is / 'Til it ain't anymore." ("It Is What It Is," "Same Trailer, Different Park") We've all had that "relationship" where we had no idea what it actually was. Maybe something can become out of it; maybe it's just to pass the time "'til something better comes along." There's barely anything there, and eventually we'll let it fizzle out and die. It's there and then it isn't.
"Look around you / Look down the bar from you / At the faces that you see / Are you sure this is where you wanna be? / These are your friends, but are they real friends? / Do they love you as much as me? / Are you sure this is where you wanna be?" ("Are You Sure ft. Willie Nelson," "Pageant Material")
"Follow your arrow / Wherever it points." ("Follow Your Arrow," "Same Trailer, Different Park") We don't get too many second chances. Be yourself, even if it's what others deem "weird" or "dumb." We don't get too many second chances, and we certainly don't get a second chance at life.
"Just tryin' to hold it all together / We all wish our best was better / Just hopin' that forever's really real / We'll miss a dime to grab a nickel / Overcomplicate the simple / We're all little kids just looking for love / Yeah, don't we all just want somebody to love?" ("Somebody to Love," "Pageant Material") Nobody is a harsher critic of us than us. We're all decent people, but many times we never feel good about ourselves. We try our best, but always think we can do better. We're the hardest on ourselves. But we're bound by these experiences, and all we want, deep down, is plain and simple love.
Thanks, Kacey, for finally writing about the good stuff. We're forever grateful for your art.