Giving You Up

Album: We Were Cowboys (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Giving You Up" is a genuine heartbreak-driven song, with Kameron Marlowe finally ready to move on from a girl who's harder to quit than a smoking habit.

    "It came from a really bad place," he told Pandora. "I'd been through this breakup - I thought I was going to marry this girl. She broke my heart and I didn't really know what to do, so I came home one night and I needed to vent. I didn't want to tell everybody, I just wanted to say things to myself. So I came home and I wrote this long, long, long paragraph of things I wanted to say, and it came down to just two verses, and the chorus flowed out of me immediately."
  • "Giving You Up" was Kameron Marlowe's first single. He released it independently in 2019, and when the song found an audience on streaming services, he landed a record deal with Sony Music Nashville, which reissued the single in 2020 and included it on his self-titled EP that year. In 2022, it was included on Marlowe's debut album, We Were Cowboys.
  • This was one of the first songs Marlowe wrote. He was shocked when it took off.

    "It's a really special song for me," he said. "I've gotten so many messages and so many letters from people who have said thank you for writing the song. That's really special to me. That's what it's all about: fan engagement where they really feel my music and understand. Just that they can relate to the song, I feel it's really special that we've built this bond with my fan base over one song. I never thought people would actually listen to the song. I put it out there because I didn't have a song out. It ended up getting on some playlists and it ended up getting me my record deal. I'm very blessed."
  • The music video, directed by Jeff Johnson, reads "based on a true story" at the beginning. We see his girl give him back her engagement ring and walk out. Two weeks later he goes to a pawn shop and trades it for a guitar, which he takes to Nashville to launch his career with this song he wrote about her... it's very meta.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.