I Can Do Hard Things

Album: single release only (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A slow, acoustic guitar-driven song, "I Can Do Hard Things" is an anthem for personal empowerment which finds Jennifer Nettles musing on overcoming adversity.

    Sometimes I don't like it
    But that don't mean I don't love it
    Sometimes I get down so low
    But that don't mean I can't rise above it


    Nettles explained on Twitter: "This song for me is a truth telling, a bloodletting, a real-life heart opening to what it means to be a grown woman. It is my offering to honor the reality that, as I like to say, everything is everything."
  • The black-and-white video for the song, filmed in Nashville and Brooklyn, shows seven women giving us a glimpse into their lives. The personal "hard things" they overcome range from caring for the disabled and single motherhood to sexual assault:

    "This song took on a life quickly and unexpectedly," Nettles explained to ABC Radio. "For me, in writing it, I was just writing my own Truth and story. But what I have come to see is that so many women share this Truth, and that inspired me to make an invitation."

    The clip was filmed by photographer Katie Kauss, whose other credits include shooting the cover of Will Hoge's Small Town Dreams album.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."