Some say that the best revenge is a life well lived. Others will tell you that revenge is a dish best served cold. However, when you’ve been wronged, those thoughts tend to go out the window. It’s natural to want to put moral and legal obligations aside and take matters into your own hands. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. Luckily, there are plenty of country songs about revenge that help you get the cathartic feeling of retribution without all of the unfortunate consequences.
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Whether you wish you could get revenge on a cheater, a liar, or anyone else who has wronged you, these country songs will help you get through–or start–your villain era.
1. “Gunpowder & Lead” by Miranda Lambert
Relationships can go wrong for any number of reasons. In this song, country great Miranda Lambert sings about getting revenge on an abusive, drunken partner. She let the police handle him at first, but knew that he would make bail and come home full of rage. So, she gets home first, loads her shotgun, and waits for him to storm through the door.
Lambert is no stranger to songs about vengeance but “Gunpowder and Lead” from her 2007 album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend might be one of the best. While most are about getting back at a cheater, this one falls into the same category of songs like the Dennis Linde-penned “Goodbye Earl,” made popular by The Chicks.
2. “Martha Divine” by Ashley McBryde
Cheating doesn’t just impact the wronged partner. When there are kids involved, the infidelity also affects them. In this song from her 2019 album Never Will, Ashley McBryde takes on the role of the child of a cheating father. Instead of going after her dad, she sets her sights on the other woman.
The amount of pain the title character caused is balanced by the narrator’s plan to get back at her. The revenge she plotted won’t be quick. Instead, Martha will have time to think about her actions after being buried alive.
3. “Mental Revenge” by Waylon Jennings
Written by Mel Tillis, country legend Waylon Jennings first recorded this song about revenge for his 1968 album Jewels. Unlike other entries on this list, “Mental Revenge” finds the song’s narrator in the same shoes as many listeners. He’s not planning on doing anything to the woman who wronged him. Instead, he’s hoping that bad things happen to her and her new beau.
In the song, Jennings sings about the bad things he wishes on his cheating ex and her new man. For instance, he hopes that her new man loses his job and gets hit by a train. He calls this wishful thinking “Sweet, sweet mental revenge.”
4. “Down the River” by Chris Knight
Chris Knight is a criminally underrated country singer/songwriter with plenty of songs about death, revenge, and other dark themes. “Down the River” from his 2001 album A Pretty Good Guy is one of his most popular songs. It’s also a great song to put on when you’re thinking about revenge.
The song’s narrator tells the story of his brother being murdered by a local drunk named Wilson while they were fishing. After some time passes, he takes revenge by shooting Wilson and dumping his body in the same river in which his brother died. In the final verse, he contemplates taking out Wilson’s cousin and accomplice. It’s dark, moody, and the perfect fit for anyone looking to get some serious retribution.
Featured Image by John Shearer/WireImage
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