Good Horses

Album: Whirlwind (2024)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Good Horses" is a laid-back duet that brings together Lainey Wilson's Louisiana drawl and the spirited twang of Miranda Lambert's Texas roots. The result is a breezy, melodious exchange where the metaphor of a wild horse captures the tension between the call of the open road and the warm embrace of home. While the allure of freedom and adventure is undeniable, there's something profoundly comforting about the knowledge that good horses come home.
  • This is the second equine-titled song recorded by Wilson, following 2022's "Wildflowers And Wild Horses." Both tunes exude a sense of independence, but "Wildflowers and Wild Horses" is a more introspective exploration of personal growth, whereas "Good Horses" reflects on the draw of freedom amid the need for companionship.
  • "Good Horses" is a track on Wilson's fifth album, Whirlwind. The Louisiana country star has lent her talents to hits with the likes of Cole Swindell, Hardy, Jelly Roll, and Keith Urban. "Good Horses" was the first time she recorded a duet for one of her own projects.
  • Wilson and Lambert wrote the song alongside Luke Dick, a Nashville songwriter who is one of Lambert's go-to collaborators. They penned it while spending a day at Lambert's farm outside of Nashville.

    "Miranda said, 'Come hang out and take a nap. Me and Brendan [McLoughlin, Lambert's husband] will feed you and then maybe we can write a song.' They made burgers and pasta, we had everything," Wilson recalled to Billboard. "I had this [song] idea for quite a while and a lot of people had passed us up on writing it. Looking back on it, I'm glad they did because it was supposed to be us who wrote it together. But I think the magic kind of came from me and her having a lot in common when it comes to that love of the road, having a gypsy soul."

    As the three songwriters were sitting up on Lambert's balcony, three bluebirds flew up and landed nearby. "She and Luke were sitting in the same spot where those bluebirds had landed when they were writing 'Bluebird,'" said Wilson.
  • With Jay Joyce on production, "Good Horses" doesn't gallop ahead with flashy, high-octane vocals. Instead, it meanders gracefully with sweet, dreamy tones proving that sometimes the softest words carry the most weight. There's a strength in its gentleness, a reminder that not every song needs to shout to be heard.
  • Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert first performed the song at The Theater at The Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas on December 15, 2023.
  • Back in 2023, Lambert invited Wilson to her farm for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Wilson was so exhausted after an intense period of touring and recording that she slept for 13 hours straight in Lambert's guesthouse. When she woke up, her host had breakfast waiting for her. The gesture showed how much Lambert understood the demands of life in the music industry, and it deepened their friendship.

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