Morgan Wallen is one of the few singer-songwriters of the previous five years to find success across multiple genres of music. With three studio albums under his belt, he has established himself as one of, if not the most, successful musicians of his day. The country star is well-liked in the music industry, which is quite a feat in this day and age.
Wallen participated in Season 6 of The Voice. After starting out on Usher's crew, he switched over to Adam Levine's. Unfortunately, he lost in the playoffs early on.
The majority of Morgan Wallen's tracks have earned gold or platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Some of Wallen's songs have also reached the top of the country music charts in the United States and elsewhere. But these songs did more than just garner success, they also revealed a lot about the artist. Here's the truth about their deeper meaning...
6 What Is The True Meaning Of "‘Whiskey Glasses"?
"Whisky Glasses", released in 2018, is one of Morgan Wallen's best songs. It's about the heartbreak of loving someone you can't be with. A universally relatable ballad, it's easy to see how the song's lyrics have introduced new listeners to country music.
The protagonist of this song drinks whiskey to dull the pain of his broken heart. There's an inner struggle, and he wants to drink himself so stupid so he can forget about his ex.
Wallen chooses whiskey glasses above reality because he doesn't want to face the truth. If you're feeling down about your luck, his advice is to pour yourself another glass.
Wallen told People he was trying to avoid making a "cliche" breakup song.
"We wanted the video to start out sad just because that's kind of the way the song is," he said. "I think we've all been in that situation before where you're trying to get over somebody, and you resort to drinking. I connected to it in many ways."
5 What Does Morgan Wallen's "Wasted On You" Reveal About His Childhood?
In the heartache song "Wasted On You", Wallen sings about his inability to move on from his past relationship. The title is a double entendre that alludes to both the bourbon he is drinking to numb his feelings and the resources he squandered on a failed romantic endeavor.
After his 2015 season on The Voice, Wallen uprooted to Nashville. He first met Katie Smith in 2017, and they had an on-again, off-again relationship that culminated in an engagement.
By the time Smith gave birth to their son Indie in July 2020, the couple was no longer together. Some listeners have speculated that she is the ex Wallen sings about.
Although it's not the most captivating song in Wallen's extensive career at first listen, this biting, fiery anthem has become one of his most streamed tracks ever. In fact, it’s contributed significantly to Wallen’s net worth of $4 million.
4 What Is Morgan Wallen's "Cover Me Up" About?
"Cover Me Up" is a song that reveals the singer's deepest, most personal emotions. Wallen talks about his longtime love and how he overcame an addiction that had troubled him for years.
Some may find this song highly romantic because of its subject matter about love, the ability to perceive the diamond in the rough, and the capacity to realize that one is being their best self, all of which Wallen verifies in an interview.
Although Isbell wrote the song in tribute to his wife Amanda Shires, Wallen reported hearing himself in its sentiments. In the midst of the difficulties associated with alcoholism, a couple's ability to trust and support one another becomes paramount.
It's safe to say that Isbell is beaming with pride at the success of Wallen's rendition of the song, which does the meaning behind the lyrics justice.
3 What Is The True Meaning Of Morgan Wallen's "865"?
Wallen was born and raised in East Tennessee, where his musical career can be traced all the way back to 1993.
Wallen's single "865" is a great embodiment of the musician's fondness for his birthplace and his overpowering nostalgia every time he’s away pursuing his music.
But what is this song's connection to East Tennessee? Given that "865" is the area code in this part of the country, it's no surprise that the number strikes Wallen as particularly auspicious.
Making a whole phone number sound slick while incorporated into a tune is no easy task. The whiskey-soaked tearjerker ends with Wallen back at the bar, where he belongs, staring wistfully into his glass and wondering what went wrong.
2 Morgan Wallen's "Sand In My Boots" Is About A Romantic Fling
At some point in their lives, everybody meets someone who makes them wonder, "What if?" Sometimes you can create a lasting connection with someone after just ever meeting them once.
Wallen's breathtaking tune, Sand In My Boots, is where he sings about this dilemma. After falling in love with a girl while on vacation, Wallen is devastated when she decides not to accompany him home. Wallen believed their affair was the beginning of a serious relationship, but in reality, it was nothing more than a casual beach hookup.
After the album came out, Wallen told Eonline that this was the song he was most looking forward to performing live. "It's a unique song for me and very piano-heavy," he said. "I'm gonna add a piano moment into my show with it, which I'm super excited about."
What sets "Sand In My Boots" apart is the controversy that nearly derailed the song’s success.
TMZ published a video of an intoxicated Wallen using a slur towards an ethnic group in front of his Nashville house in February 2021. Almost immediately, country radio stations stopped playing his songs, and they stayed off the air for months. Thankfully, his reputation and wealth weathered the controversy relatively well.
Wallen's apology on Good Morning America for his racist statement led to the song "Sand in My Boots" being played on the radio.
1 What "Livin’ The Dream" Revealed About Morgan Wallen's Arrest
"Livin' The Dream"'s emotional impact was amplified by the tense atmosphere of the time in which the "Dangerous" album was released. Wallen, seeking to clear the lens through which the world has viewed him, finally discusses his history of alcohol and substance problems.
Wallen said in an interview with iHeartCountry from January 2021 that this is the favorite of his own compositions.
"It shows a different side of all the glamorous things that I get to be a part of too, and I didn't write that song for pity or for anyone to feel sorry for me," he explained. "I just wanted to show a different side, everybody thinks that you know you get so far, you get famous, and that everything's just awesome, and most of it is, but I just wanted people to see the different side of that, and I feel like we accomplished it with that song."
The song was co-written by Wallen in the middle of 2019, long before he was arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct and removed from Saturday Night Live.
At the time, he complained to Billboard that a string of performances had left him feeling inebriated and fatigued. As he looked back on his difficult year, he realized that the song was "prophetic."
In this contemplative slow burner, Wallen confronts the alienating and painful side effects of fame head-on.
