My Wave

Album: Graffiti U (2018)
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Songfacts®:

  • Keith Urban co-wrote this summery song with a reggae feel. The other songwriters are:

    Canadian producer Greg Wells, who previously produced and co-wrote Urban's #1 single "Wasted Time." His other credits include hit songs by Katy Perry ("Waking Up In Vegas") and Kelly Clarkson ("I Do Not Hook Up").

    Singer-songwriter Shy Carter, who has written hits for artists like Sugarland ("Stuck Like Glue") and Kane Brown ("Heaven").
  • Urban told The Boot that the song came about when he, Wells and Carter were having a conversation about keeping to your own zone in life, and not letting the naysayers, trolls and other haters grind you down. He added: "It's about being on your own wave and living life on your own terms and staying in your own lane. The idea of the wave became about living your own life and being true to yourself."

    Urban went on to say that it became a personal song about himself. "You know, I roll with the punches and go with the flow," he said. "I used to fight against the tide, but I learned my lesson, and now I know there's a better way to live this life."
  • Shy Carter contributes a rap breakdown, which starts off:

    You gotta watch out for the shine blockers
    Me I'm just a time stopper


    The "shine blockers" line was inspired by a conversation that Urban was having with the Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn concerning the kind of people who rain on your parade. When he told the singer, "You gotta watch out for the shine-blockers." meaning the sort of people who spoil things for others, Urban's ears pricked up. He made a mental note to incorporate the phrase into one of his future songs.

    When Urban asked Shy Carter to come up with a rap breakdown for this, he told him, "You can say whatever you want, but please start with the line, 'You've gotta watch out for the shine-blockers.'"

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