Miranda Lambert‘s “Kerosene” is a caustic look at life after love. Lambert’s titular character must find a way to go on after her boyfriend cheats on her. She ends up down a self destructive path. Uncover the meaning behind this explosive song, below.
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Behind the Meaning of Miranda Lambert’s “Kerosene”
I’m waitin’ on the sun to set ’cause yesterday ain’t over yet
I started smoking cigarettes, there’s nothing else to do I guess
Dusty roads ain’t made for walkin’, spinnin’ tires ain’t made for stoppin’
I’m givin’ up on love, ’cause love’s given up on me
Lambert plays the part of a marauding cowgirl. She leaves all she knows behind after heartbreak. I’m givin’ up on love, ’cause love’s given up on me, she sings, adopting a new, hardened philosophy on life.
I gave it everything I had and everything I got was bad
Life ain’t hard, but it’s too long to live it like some country song
Trade the truth in for a lie, cheatin’ really ain’t a crime
I’m givin’ up on love ’cause love’s given up on me
In the next verse, she tells the listener exactly why her love went sour. She shuns the ideals that are in a lot of country songs, leaning hard into a somber outlook. She repeats the titular refrain about love having given up on her. The refrain sets the listener up for the explosive chorus.
Forget your high society, I’m soakin’ it in kerosene
Light ’em up and watch them burn, teach them what they need to learn; ha!
Dirty hands ain’t made for shakin’, ain’t a rule that ain’t worth breakin’
Well, I’m givin’ up on love ’cause love’s given up on me
Lambert isn’t just moving on from love. She’s moving on from everything she knows. Forget your high society, I’m soakin’ it in kerosene, she sings. She’s ready to set the world on fire. With a match lit in her hand, she flirts with the idea of blowing up her life and starting over again.
Revisit this track, below.
Now I don’t hate the one who left
You can’t hate someone who’s dead
He’s out there holdin’ on to someone, I’m holdin’ up my smoking gun
(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
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