It’s a classic outlaw song, updated for today. Jessie Murph and Jelly Roll mix genres and put the pedal to the metal as they sing about the freedom of the open road. The song was written by Murph, Jelly Roll, Gitty (Producer Jeff Gitelman), Gregory Hein, and Feli Ferraro. Let’s look at the meaning of “Wild Ones.”
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Got me wide, wide open, got a .45 on him
And he pushin’ ’bout a hundred and two
Always smokin’ somethin’, he ain’t worried ’bout nothin’
‘Cause he ain’t got nothin’ to lose
I got a thing for the hard liquor on ice
Short days and long nights
Marlboros out the window
Middle finger to the sky
Murph is drawn to the mayhem and the recklessness of the song’s bad boy.
She told Billboard in 2023, “I’ve always been attracted to crazy things or chaos. That’s where the song came from. I don’t normally write fun songs, so it’s one of my first songs like that—really cool and different. I had been in a session all day, and we had gotten nothing. In the last 30 minutes, I remember Gitty played this guitar lick, and we ended up writing it super fast.”
Say you wanna get dangerous
Now you’re speakin’ my language
I forgot what your name is
So, I’m a call you mine
I’m a call you mine
It’s a love song. A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde hitting the road with nothing left to lose and throwing caution to the wind. They are living for the moment.
Murph told Billboard, “We might’ve sped it up during the process to make it a little bit more groovy. But I really wanted country elements for this song—that was the palette I wanted to stay with. Stylistically, especially lately, I’ve been a little bit country-leaning. I’m really inspired by country music, and I feel like it has found its way into my sound.
I got a thing for the wild ones (wild, wild, wild)
I got a thing for the wild ones. It’s like he knew
I got a thing for the wild ones (wild, wild, wild)
I got a thing for the wild ones. They like me too
“My older brother is really into country, so he listens to a lot of that kind of stuff,” she continued. “I feel like we were just in the car, and he had it on. I was like, ‘Whoa, this is insane. But the craziest thing was seeing Jelly live. I was just blown away.”
Murph said she jumped at the chance to have Jelly Roll featured. “Jelly heard it, and he was like, ‘I have a verse for this,’ and I’m a huge fan of him. I went to one of his shows and sang a cover of ‘Simple Man’ with him. Then I guess he heard ‘Wild Ones,’ and I was like, ‘Oh my God, please be on this.'”
Jelly Roll made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2021 after being invited by country artist Craig Morgan. The rapper had his country breakthrough with 2023’s Whitsitt Chapel reaching No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, leading to a New Artist of the Year honor at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards.
Murph said, “I think something that’s so special about him is he’s so always just so grateful. You can tell he’s such a gratitude-based person, and it’s beautiful. Jelly Roll has just been so positive, and every time I’m around him, I leave feeling so happy.”
Yeah, I’m attracted to things that are really crazy
Asking me how I’ve been feeling lately
Coming for mine, then it’s do or die
I won’t let it slide, no stealing bases
No back-and-forth bargaining
No bitchin’ and arguing
A whole lotta problems living in Gotham
And Bunnie’s my Harley Quinn
Was raised in the darkness. Forgive me, I’m guarded
I have no shame. I’m in love with the heartless
The police will never take us alive
And cowgirls don’t cry
Murph made a splash on social media, leading to a record deal. She told Women in Pop in 2022, “I started on TikTok, so everybody would watch my TikToks and send them around, and the parents, more so than anybody, were just not having it because of the things I was saying. And them telling me, ‘You can’t say that. You need to act like a lady,’ made me like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna say it more.’ I feel you can hear in my earlier songs that they’re a little bit more explicit, and that’s why, because I was so like, ‘Oh, I can’t? I’m gonna do it the most I can now!'”
Her earlier singles were more subdued. “Always Been You” and “Pray” were slower beats that featured her vocal range and lyrics showing her vulnerability and struggles.
In 2023, the singles shifted to include country elements. “Heartbroken” was produced by Diplo, Elie Rizk, and Maesic. “Wild Ones” was hyped on social media for weeks by both artists before it was released, leading to the highest chart appearance yet.
Got me wide, wide open, got a .45 on him
And he pushin’ ’bout a hundred and two
Always smokin’ somethin’, he ain’t worried ’bout nothin’
‘Cause he ain’t got nothin’ to lose
I got a thing for the wild ones (wild, wild, wild)
I got a thing for the wild ones. It’s like he knew
I got a thing for the wild ones (wild, wild, wild)
I got a thing for the wild ones. They like me too
Yeah (wild, wild, wild)
Oh, a thing for the wild ones (it’s like he knew)
I got a thing for the wild ones (wild, wild, wild)
Got a thing for the wild ones (they like me too)
Jelly Roll has achieved success on the rock, rap, R&B, and country charts. Murph has only appeared on the pop charts so far.
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Theo Wargo/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
