Itâs no secret that country music tends to get a bad rap. The twangy music, the cringe-worthy lyrics, and the loudness of it allâtrust me, I get it. But there is one country singer out there who is incredibly down to earth and is pushing the boundaries of what it means to be âcountry,â and her name is Kacey Musgraves. Her lyrics, while still wrapped in the country genre, challenge it and seem to have the answers to all your life problems. Here are a few examples of lyrical moments when Kacey proved sheâs just like the rest of us and said exactly what we were all thinking.
1. âFollow your arrow wherever it points.â
The song âFollow Your Arrowâ was my first experience with Musgraves, and I became completely obsessed. This is a great song for collegiettes like me who are looking to break out of their bubble and become who they want to be. Musgraves starts the song by naming off double standards for women such as, âIf you save yourself for marriage, youâre a bore; if you donât save yourself for marriage youâre a âwhore-ableâ person,â and then tells you to do whatever you want because youâll never please everyone. The namesake line, âfollow your arrow,â is awesome because it puts you in charge of your own fateâyouâre completely in charge of your own arrow in that you get to choose where to aim and where to shoot. In the end, Musgraves reminds you to choose carefully because âyou only live once.â
2. âYou canât be everybodyâs cup of tea.â
This sweet little song off of her new album, Pageant Material, has saved me on several occasions. As someone who cares way too much about what other people think, I constantly try and defend every little thing about myself and every little thing I do that someone else thinks is weird, and let me tell you, itâs exhausting. Listening to this song is such a breath of fresh air, and when Iâm stressing over that rude thing she said or what they think of me, hearing the words âNobodyâs everybodyâs favorite so you might as well just make it how you please,â is exactly what I need.
3. âMind your own biscuits and life will be gravy.â
In a world where everyone knows everything about everybody, we all tend to get a little too involved in the business of others and to care way too much about what others think about us. This song has not only helped me let go of anger and negativity surrounding othersâ judgments of me, but it has also been a great reminder for me to mind my own business. As Kacey sings, âpourinâ salt in my sugar wonât make yours any sweeter,â so the next time you find yourself gossiping, take a minute to remind yourself that nothing good comes from rudeness, and to live a happy life, youâre going to have to let other people do the same, even if theyâre living in a way thatâs different than you.
4. âFamily is familyâ
Letâs face it: family can be annoying. Having people to constantly explain to and defend your decisions in front of can be exhausting, especially when it seems everyoneâs got an opinion on how you should be living, but at the end of the day, they are your family, and all of those petty feuds and emphasized eye-rolls are pretty ridiculous at the end of the day. Yes, some people have really messed up situations and it may be healthier for them to keep a distance from their family. However, for most of us, embarrassing or not, family is family, and just because they can be a little crazy sometimes doesnât mean you donât support them. As Kacey sings, âyou donât get to pick âemâŠbut you love âem.â
5. âIâd rather lose for what I am than win for what I ainât.â
In her newest albumâs namesake song, Pageant Material, Kacey encourages us all to love our differences and imperfections, even if they donât fit within whatâs âproperâ or normal. She specifically criticizes the originally southern tradition of beauty pageants, though the song reaches a much broader audience as it discusses the complexity and contradictions of what it means to be a âgirl.â âWhoâs to say Iâm a 9.5 or a 4.0 if you donât even know me,â Kacey asks, asking you to think about yourself for more than a number or someoneâs shallow perception of who you are. In the end, sheâd rather be happy with herself and hated by everyone else than to have everyone like a lie.
6. âIf youâre ever gonna find a silver lining, itâs got to be a cloudy day.â
When youâre having a bad day, it can be hard to realize everything you have to be grateful for. With school, work, friends, and family, sometimes itâs all just too much. I cant tell you how many times Iâve found myself crying over a failure or a mistake, but in the end, your experiences shape who you are. You canât have the good without the bad, or as Kacey puts it, âif you want the honey, you canât be scared of the bees.â In the end, itâs up to you to take your bad days and use them as fuel for the good ones.
Kacey Musgraves takes big ideas and puts them into simple little rhymes that feel like the advice youâd get from your parents. Her lyrics are sweet without being cheesy and turns one listen into an unintended life lesson. She unapologetically says what you wish you could in almost every situation, and helps you recognize that youâre humanâimperfections and allâand you shouldnât take things so seriously all of the time. Her country simplicity makes you realize that life shouldnât be as hard as you make it out to be and asks you to appreciate the little things, all while telling you that itâs okay to break tradition. Country music may not be your favorite, but for Kacey Musgraves, itâs well worth a listen.Â