Ashley McBryde has long established herself as a powerful and consequential songwriter. Her songs have touched the hearts of her fans and pushed her more and more into fame. Unarguably one of her most important songs to date is “Light On In The Kitchen.” Uncover the meaning behind the heartwarming track, below.
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Behind the Meaning
In “Light On In The Kitchen,” McBryde relays some worthy advice from a motherly figure to her listeners. The wisdom she delivers in the lyrics is endlessly applicable and timeless. One can almost hear their own mother, dealing out reminders of anything and everything they can think of to worry about.
Always check the door ‘fore you lay down / Keep a glass of water by the bed / A dose of local honey / Will keep your nose from runnin’ / Little things like that she’s always said, she sings.
In the chorus, she gets even more poignant. The phrase “Light on in the kitchen” is a deeply tender sentiment. McBryde explains that even if she has no plans to see the advice giver, there will always be a light kept on, just in case she needs someone to talk to. It’s the kind of unconditional and omnipresent love that only a mother–or a motherlike figure–can muster.
Honey, trust yourself
You better love yourself
‘Cause ’til you do you ain’t no good for anybody else
And honey, boys are dumb
But you’re gonna to find you one
Love him hard, bless your heart
When you need someone to listen
That’s why I leave the light on in the kitchen
In the second verse, McBryde’s advice expands to friendship and self-image. There’s more to life than bein’ skinny / When you feel fat, it’s mostly in your mind, she sings. The entire song holds the listener’s hand through a myriad of issues. It’s an entire therapy session wrapped up into 3:32.
“There are many women that have wisdom to share with us in this life,” McBryde wrote on Instagram around the time of the song’s release. “The shoulders designed so perfectly to carry the world on them and still be every bit as gentle as a child… a young lady, and then a grown-ass woman may need…The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival)
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