Songs You May Have Missed #626

Walker Hayes: “You Broke Up with Me” (2017)

This blog doesn’t plug many contemporary country tunes. But we do like to give props to a clever song in any genre. And we think “You Broke Up with Me” transcends the typically safe, vacuous ear fodder emblematic of the current country genre.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that for this listener personally, “You Broke Up with Me” sets the standard in terms of sheer density of playful lyrical cleverness. The pre-chorus beginning with “Darlin’ you can’t crash my party…” is jaw-dropping, and the chorus that follows it is almost equally inspired.

Walker Hayes’ smile-inducing lyric sensibility and vocal delivery may bring rapper Macklemore to mind. While bro country wants to keep singing that same clichéd song that ticks the usual boxes (Friday nights, drinking beer, pickup trucks, painted-on jeans and all the other obligatory country markers) hopefully Hayes signals something fresh.

Well, I got some Coke in my bourbon
Surfin’ the room like Swazye
No, I ain’t drunk, I’m amazing
Yeah, I got that laid way, way back, back in my swagger
Xfactor, feeling no pain I’m at the top of my game

Darlin’ you can’t crash my party with your “sorry’s” and “what are we’s?”
Don’t start rainin’ on my Mardi Gras parade for a minute
I ain’t even fixin’ to listen to your guilt trippin’
You’re forgettin’, girl you made your bed and didn’t want me in it (hey!)

Woah girl, simmer on down a notch
Ain’t nobody making you watch me get my “forget you” on
No girl, can’t touch my “good as gold”
I know it’s difficult to see me on a roll (hey!)
But hey, you broke up with me
Yeah, what can I say babe, you broke up with me

Guess you don’t know what you want
‘Til you see I’m movin’ on
Makin’ lonely look like freedom
Baby, don’t even act like I’m doing something wrong
If my song comes on and I get lost on that dance floor
In somebody’s arms that ain’t yours

You can’t crash my party with your “sorry’s” and “what are we’s?”
Don’t be rainin’ on my Mardi Gras parade for a minute
I ain’t even fixin’ to listen to your guilt trippin’
You’re forgettin’ girl you made your bed and didn’t want me in it (hey!)

For real babe, ain’t tryin’ rub it your face
I’m just breakin’ off a little cold hard truth
It is what it is girl, you did what you did girl
I’m just doin’ what a bachelor do

Darlin’, you can’t crash my party with your “sorry’s” and “what are we’s?”
Don’t be rainin’ on my Mardi Gras parade for a minute (quit it!)
I ain’t even fixin’ to listen to your guilt trippin’
You’re forgettin’, girl you made your bed and didn’t want me in it (hey!)

Woah girl, simmer on down a notch
Ain’t nobody making you watch me get my “forget you” on
No girl, can’t touch my “good as gold”
I know it’s difficult to see me on a roll
But hey, you broke up with me
Yeah, what can I say babe, you broke up with me (hey!)

Every Moment Has A Song