Country Music’s Smartest Wordplay: The Best Double Meanings Ever Written

Country music loves a double meaning. Writing a country song is like writing a great comedy routine: bury the lead and surprise the listener with a killer punchline. Those punchlines can be heartbreaking, upbeat, fun-loving, or painful. Regardless of the intended emotion, wordplay is a skill country music returns to again and again. Below are three country songs with incredible double meanings.

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“Handle on You” (Parker McCollum)

A recent and satisfying example of this is Parker McCollum’s “Handle on You.” While trying to overcome a heartbreak, McCollum seeks some liquid courage. I’ve been fightin’ with your memory, I hate the way it hits me / I wake up every day, black and blue, he sings in this country song. A shot isn’t enough. A fifth won’t do. McCollum needs a whole handle to get a handle on his broken heart.

It’s simple wordplay, and the sentiment has been written countless times before McCollum decided to throw his hat in the ring. Nevertheless, it’s a gratifying example of double meanings in country music.

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“Independence Day” (Martina McBride)

Martina McBride plays the narrator in this early ’90s country song. She tells the story of a young girl whose mother is being abused. To escape the turmoil, she goes down to the town fair on Independence Day, marking the first use of the title in this song.

The title is then flipped in the chorus to describe a different kind of independence. The narrator is no longer focused on the birth of America. Instead, she’s singing about escaping abuse. It’s a powerful allusion, comparing one of the most famous stories of independence to that of personal reckoning.

“You Never Even Called Me by My Name” (David Allan Coe)

While the other two entries on this list focus on one word or phrase, the entirety of David Allan Coe’s “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” has a double meaning.

On the surface, this Coe country song reads like it’s about romantic love. So I’ll hang around as long as you will let me / And I never minded standing’ in the rain / But you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’ / You never even called me by my name, he sings. Under the surface, this song is a jab at the music industry and its cliches. It’s expert songwriting, which isn’t surprising given that John Prine and Steve Goodman wrote the track.

(Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic)