Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media, Inc.
Novelist Anne Lamott once remarked, “If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” This sentiment, while valid, doesn’t make the act of sharing lyrics about challenging aspects of your childhood any less daunting, especially when you know it may cause your parents pain or unearth unresolved family issues.
Nevertheless, Ashley McBryde is resolutely committed to the art of truth-telling through her lyrics. Her latest album, “The Devil I Know,” delves into the complexities of her upbringing. In particular, her song “Learned to Lie” delves into her patterns of engaging in dishonest relationships, tracing them back to her parents’ dysfunctional communication style, which she observed while growing up.
“I must’ve heard my mama tell my daddy / That she was tired, because babies make you tired / But deep down she was just unhappy,” Ashley McBryde sings in the opening verse. As the lyrics unfold, she recollects her father’s absence at the dinner table, a time when he “said he was working late / But he was working late / Fogging up the windows of an ’89 Sable.”
With heartfelt candor, she admits in the chorus, “I hate how easy it comes / I wish I’d learned to love the same way I / Learned to lie.” These lyrics capture the emotional complexity of her upbringing and the impact it had on her relationships.
In a conversation with Taste of Country Nights, Ashley McBryde addressed a question about her parents’ reactions to the song “Learned to Lie.”
“I don’t know that my dad’s ever heard it. Or that he owns a radio. He’s just that kinda guy,” she shared with a chuckle, adding, “[He] lives under a rock and it’s beautiful there.”
However, McBryde’s mother is an avid listener of every song her daughter releases, so the singer took it upon herself to discuss the song’s lyrics with her mom before making “Learned to Lie” available to the general public.
“I FaceTimed her and talked her through the lyrics. Because being blindsided by that song would have been really painful. It would have seemed like I was coming at her,” McBryde explained. “But I’m proud of the way I was raised, even though some of that wasn’t beautiful. I talked her through the lyrics, and she was like, ‘Yeah, none of it’s untrue.'”
Ashley McBryde’s decision to share her honest portrayal of her upbringing is not only cathartic for her but also a way to connect with listeners who may have similar experiences.
“I go back to: If I feel this way, I’m not the only person that feels this way,” she reflected. “So, there are other people that feel this way that maybe have a harder time putting their finger on what it is.”
Her album “The Devil I Know” was released on Friday, September 8, offering a deep and personal perspective on her life and experiences.
