The Writer of Blake Shelton’s ‘God Gave Me You’ Said It Has ‘Weird’ Lyrics

While it sounds like a lot of country songs, Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You” has some unusual lyrics. The rock singer who wrote the song gave fans insight into his lyricism. Shelton also discussed what he thought when he first heard the track on the radio.

The writer of Blake Shelton’s ‘God Gave Me You’ likes the track’s line about martyrdom

Christian rock singer Dave Barnes wrote and recorded the original version of “God Gave Me You.” During a 2012 interview with American Songwriter, Barnes was asked about the writing of “God Gave Me You.”

“It didn’t take long at all to write,” he said. “I really do think I wrote it in an afternoon. Those are the nice ones, where a melody and lyric idea match up perfectly. It was quick.”

Barnes had a lot to say about the tune’s lyrics. “It’s funny — there are some weird lines in this song,” he said. “I mean, I love them. But I struggled through leaving a couple of them — namely ‘You’ll always be love’s great martyr, and I’ll be the flattered fool.’ I mean, who says that? But I knew it was really unique and cool.”

Martyrdom is an important concept in many faiths, so the lyric fits with the quasi-religious feel of “God Gave Me You.”

David Barnes loves a line in ‘God Gave Me You’ about a ‘conspiracy’

Barnes wasn’t expecting Blake Shelton to cover his song. “And I never thought anyone other than me would be singing it, so I wasn’t thinking that way,” he explained. “I knew I would sing that and loved what it meant. and honestly how quirky it was!”

“God Gave Me You” includes the quirky lyric “There’s more here than what we’re seein’, a divine conspiracy / That you, an angel lovely, could somehow fall for me.”

“I love the ‘divine conspiracy’ line,” Barnes said. “And the bridge idea — ‘On my own / I’m only, half of what I should be.’ that’s a theme I seem to revisit a lot in my lyric writing. Maybe I should work on that. Ha!”

Blake Shelton heard the song at an emotional time in his relationship with Miranda Lambert

During a 2011 interview with The Boot, Shelton revealed his perspective on “God Gave Me You.” He said the song was important to him. The singer revealed he was going through a rough patch with his then-wife, Miranda Lambert, when he heard “God Gave Me You” on a Christian radio station.

The tune moved Shelton, who almost felt like he needed to stop his truck to listen to the track. Shelton felt like he heard the song for a reason.

“God Gave Me You” is one of a small handful of love songs that blur the line between the spiritual and the romantic. Earlier tunes in this subgenre include “Burning Love” by Elvis Presley, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” Other country songs in that vein include Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.” and Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning.”

“God Gave Me You” is an unusual love song but it works so well.