When I Was His Wife

Album: Interstate Gospel (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This crushing ballad was the first song written for the Pistol Annies' third album, Interstate Gospel. It started with a single verse and chorus that Miranda Lambert had been workshopping in which the pain of divorce is undercut by wry resignation. She quickly recognized it as one she had to write and sing with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.

    "'When I Was His Wife' was an Annies title for sure. It came to me the day we wrote it," Lambert recalled to ABC Radio. "I mean, I didn't save it for the Annies. I just started writing it, and I was like, 'Hold on, this is for the girls.'"

    Lambert texted her incomplete song to Monroe and Presley and both sent a verse back within 10 minutes. The collaboration, the first song written by the Pistols for a couple of years, opened the gate for the rest of the record.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"They're Playing My Song

Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The Devil

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The DevilSong Writing

Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?