Julianna Calm Down

Album: Gaslighter (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Chicks trio of Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire have five daughters between them and several nieces. This chin-up anthem is dedicated to the girls in their families, encouraging them to maintain a brave face amidst romantic breakdowns.
  • Each of the Chicks' daughters (baby chicks?) is name checked during the song.

    In the first verse:
    Julianna, the eldest daughter of Emily Strayer. She has a twin brother called Henry.
    Harper, the third daughter of Martie Maguire.

    In the second verse:
    Eva and Katie, Martie Maguire's twin daughters.

    In the outro:
    Violet, the youngest daughter of Emily Strayer.
    The outro continues with exhortations to some other female relatives to "calm down."

    Emily Strayer explained to The Sun that after starting off mentioning Julianna, they decided to include the names of all their daughters and nieces. "It's as if we're telling our younger selves or our kids how to put things in perspective during the angsty teenage years," she said. "I love that song."
  • Natalie Maines wrote the song with:

    Singer-songwriter Julia Michaels, whose other writing credits include Justin Bieber's "Sorry," Hailee Steinfeld's "Love Myself," and Selena Gomez's "Lose You to Love Me." She also had her own hit with the song "Issues."

    Frequent Taylor Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff, who co-produced Gaslighter with The Chicks.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman Jack

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.