I think it’s a true testament to her songwriting talent that Lainey Wilson could write a #1 hit, even when she was so hungover she almost called in sick.
The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year was featured in PEOPLE’s StyleWatch segment a few months ago, where she of course talked about her own personal style and her signature bell bottom pants.
But the funniest, most intriguing part of the interview came when she revealed that she was so hungover the day she ended up writing “Things a Man Oughta Know” that she almost called in sick and thought about not even showing up.
Of course, she powered through like the professional that she is, but she admits she was sick and seemed to find the memory kind of funny now, considering how far she’s come and how much that song changed her career and life:
“When we wrote ‘Things a Man Oughta Know,’ I was hungover that day… I was hungover. I remember thinkin’, I didn’t even wanna go to the co-write.
I was like, ‘Should I call in sick? ‘Cuz I am sick.’ But I showed up, and Jason Nix had this idea called ‘Things a Man Oughta Know.’
I knew when he said it I was like, ‘Oh, I like this. Let’s figure out how to write it from a female perspective and talk about the things that my parents taught me growing up.'”
She continued, saying that the heart of the message is less about romantic relationships and more about the characteristics that are important to have inside yourself and the people you surround yourself with:
“Most importantly, it was about the characteristics that they taught me to look for in myself, in other people when choosing friends, and boyfriends and people that I surround myself with, people in my circle. Sadly, the song kinda got put up on a shelf.
I was writing 100’s of songs that year, we got ready to cut my first record and it was not on the list.
And I remember a couple weeks before going in to cut this record with Jay Joyce, I remember exactly where I was on Dickerson Pike in Nashville, and I had this overwhelming feeling, I get a lot of those, that I was supposed to record ‘Things a Man Oughta Know.’
And I’m so thankful that I did. And I’m so thankful I listened to that, because that was the song that introduced me to a lot of people and that song is truly who I am and the way that I was raised.”
Written by Lainey along with Jason Nix and Jonathan Singleton, it was released as the second single from her 2020 Redneck Hollywood EP and was later included on her 2021 Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ album.
Of course, it eventually peaked at #1 on the U.S. Country Airplay chart, becoming Lainey’s very first chart-topping hit at country radio, and she later won the ACM for Song of the Year with it as well.
Just a few days ago at the CMA’s, Lainey was also the big winner when she took home the coveted Entertainer of the Year award, in addition to Female Vocalist of the Year and Album Of The Year, in addition to the previously announced Musical Event Of The Year and Music Video Of The Year for “wait in the truck” with Hardy.
And her speeches were incredibly inspiring to watch, so take a few minutes out of your day to check them out… you won’t regret it:
And if you’re any kind of person out there with any sort of dream, big or small, this speech is for you:
