The Real Meaning Behind More Than My Hometown By Morgan Wallen
Country music singer Morgan Wallen had established himself as a major player in the industry with his debut album Chasin You, but his sophomore effort Dangerous: The Double Album cemented his status as a country music star.
Prior to the album's release on Jan. 8, 2021, Wallen released one of the standout tracks "More Than My Hometown" as a single with an accompanying music video. The hit song soared up the charts and netted the singer his fourth straight Billboard No. 1 song when the song topped the Country Airplay Chart, per CMT. The cut was written by Wallen along with Michael Hardy, Ernest Keith Smith, and Ryan Vojtesak, and tells the story of a simple small-town man who is torn between the love of his girlfriend and his desire to stay in the town he loves.
"Girl, our mamas are best friends and so are we / The whole town's rooting for us like the home team," Wallen sings in the opening lyrics. The female love interest in the track has ambitions to branch out with her "big dream bags" for the big city.
In the chorus, Wallen makes it clear that the man would choose his town over his girl. "But, baby, this might be the last time I get to lay you down / 'Cause I can't love you more than my hometown," he sings. Though the meaning might seem clear on the surface, there is actually a deeper meaning behind the song for Wallen.
Morgan Wallen shares what the song means to him
The explicit meaning behind "More Than My Hometown" is made clear in the lyrics, and the popular music video, but Morgan Wallen revealed that the song means a little more to him. In an interview with radio station KFDI, the Tennessee native said he feels the song tells the story of a person who is true to themselves, even if it costs true love. "It's a song that represents to me... about not changing who you are for someone even if you may really love that person," the country star said.
Wallen thinks the song has "a few different meanings" but believes that the message "to stay true to who you are" is the most important. He also added that he holds no grudges with any exes, "I ain't got no hard feelings for anyone not being compatible with me."
In July 2020, the "This Bar" singer had a son, Indigo, with his ex-girlfriend KT Smith, as covered by People. The couple was broken up when Indigo was conceived, but they were still spending time together. Prior to having a child with Smith, the singer had envisioned starting a family alongside a wife. "I wanted to have a family like my parents. My parents are still together, you know," he told the publication. Wallen said he's happy to raise his child "with someone I care about." This singer knows first-hand that things don't always go as planned, but that it's important to stay true to oneself.