3 Songs You Didn’t Know Maren Morris Wrote
Maren Morris burst on the country music scene as a solo artist in 2016. Before then, she spent a few years under the tutelage of publishing company Big Yellow Dog as a songwriter.
The My Church songstress moved to Nashville in 2014 with fellow country superstar Kacey Musgraves, before they were famous, to make a living with the genre they loved.
Little did Morris know that her songwriting abilities would lead to a solo career of her own. Here are three songs the Texas native wrote while waiting for her time to shine.
A legendary country crooner sang Maren Morris’s first major hit
When a country legend wants one of your songs on his album, you answer the call. Morris did just this when she wrote “Last Turn Home” for Tim McGraw’s 2014 album Sundown Heaven Town, as Wide Open Country reports.
“Last Turn Home” is about finding someone you can truly come home to, someone you know who will be there, hold you tight, and always make you feel like nothing else matters. It could be a song about a best friend, lover, longtime spouse, or a new flame.
Although the single itself didn’t hit the Billboard charts, McGraw’s album sold enough to debut at No. 1 for album sales in September 2014, according to Red Light Management. Morris was a key part of that success.
When the Arlington, Texas, native wed fellow country songwriter Ryan Hurd in March 2018, Morris posted a wedding photo with the caption, “My last turn home.”
An ‘American Idol’ winner was next for Maren Morris’s songwriting career
Way back in 2002, up-and-comer Kelly Clarkson won the first season of American Idol, kickstarting a spate of reality TV shows featuring singing contests. Clarkson spearheaded the genre of ordinary Americans voting for their favorite acts, who could go on to get huge recording contracts.
Clarkson was a household name in 2015 when she added “Second Wind” to her repertoire on her album Piece by Piece.
The song portrays a once-famous and once-glamorous star discussing how she’s faded from the limelight but has no regrets about her current life. The lyrics may point to criticizing haters, the media, or even close friends or a lover.
Clarkson returned the favor to Morris by covering “RSVP.”
Maren Morris found it easy being green with the Brothers Osborne in 2016
Morris wrote a song about marijuana in 2016 for the Brothers Osborne with “Greener Pastures.” The duo returned the favor by singing alongside the songstress in 2019’s “All My Favorite People.” Morris has not kept her pot use a secret, saying she has a “good relationship” with marijuana.
For Morris, 2016 was a banner year when her track “My Church” went viral on Spotify. Her debut album of five tracks sold 2.5 million copies. She won a Grammy the following year for that single.
What’s next for the sensational singer? Morris is wrapping her Humble Quest tour in October 2022. According to Business Wire, she’ll headlines the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions Concert Series alongside En Vogue and Ellie Goulding as part of the premier LPGA event.
