Country music tackles some tough subjects. Many of these subjects go over the heads of the genre’s younger fans. Whether it’s heartache, nostalgia, or sickness, some songs are meant to be heard by older ears. It takes maturity to truly understand the three country songs below. Many of us loved these songs as teens, but now that these artists’ fans have aged alongside them, they hit completely different.
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“Strawberry Wine” — Deana Carter
In order to truly understand Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine,” you need to have felt the painful tinge of nostalgia. While younger people can have this inexplicable feeling, it pales in comparison to the waves of it you get once you reach a certain age. You can’t truly understand this country classic until you’ve moved on to a stage in your life when youthful romance feels far away.
“I still remember / When thirty was old / And my biggest fear was September / When he had to go,” the lyrics to this country song read. This song is about looking back on your younger years. If you’re still in your younger years, you can’t possibly understand this song fully.
“The House That Built Me” — Miranda Lambert
“Ma’am, I know you don’t know me from Adam / But these hand prints on the front steps are mine,” Lambert sings in this nostalgic country song. You can’t fully feel the weight of heading back home after leaving it until you’re old enough to have had that experience.
When you’re younger, this song is just a stunning ballad. When you’re older, this song becomes a painful reminder that childhood is over. “I thought if I could touch this place or feel it / This brokenness inside me might start healing,” are some of the most touching lyrics in country history. They certainly speak to the emotions that run throughout adulthood.
“Skin (Sarabeth)” — Rascal Flatts
“Sara Beth is scared to death / To hear what the doctor will say / She hasn’t been well since the day that she fell / And the bruise it just won’t go away,” Gary LeVox sings in Rascal Flatts’ most devastating song, “Skin (Sarabeth).”
This painful song tackles childhood illness. While you’d think a younger person might better relate to that than someone older, it takes some years to truly understand the weight of something like this if you haven’t experienced it yourself.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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