Story Behind the Song: Little Big Town, ‘The Daughters’
One of the most gripping moments on Little Big Town's Nightfall album is the song "The Daughters." The ballad spotlights the plight of girls and women who find themselves on unequal footing in today's society.
The band's Phillip Sweet tells The Boot that even though Little Big Town knew the song would challenge country radio, it was important to them to put it out. Read on to learn why, in Sweet's own words.
I think we had been working in the studio, and Karen [Fairchild] came back -- she had been in a session -- and she was like, "Guys, I think I just wrote the best song I've ever written. I just want you to hear it."
And we heard it, and we all just loved it and loved what it said and thought it was poignant for the times. And we immediately went to getting it ready, and decided that, you know, no matter what, [we were gonna put it out]. The good thing is that our label ... allowed us this chance to just put out our music.
You know, it might not be as commercially successful in certain venues or avenues, but we challenged them. We challenged radio, in a way, with this -- I don't even know how to say it. I guess it's a moment. It's just like, hey, I know we keep talking about this, but we're just looking for a God for the daughters, and we believe that this is the tipping point. We're moving to a greater place than we have been in the past, but we're still having the same old tired conversation all the time. So it felt like it needed to come out sooner rather than later, and we just approached it from that perspective.
But really, it's not so much about the #MeToo movement or any of that stuff -- which we are all a part of -- but I think it's more about the human condition. That was also a thread through this whole record, so it was a moment we wanted to showcase.
Little Big Town's Best Live Shots