The Luxury of Knowing

Album: Get Closer Deluxe Edition (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This bonus track on the deluxe version of Australian Country music artist Keith Urban's seventh studio album was penned by Lori McKenna. The American folk singer-songwriter was inspired by the term "the luxury of knowing," which crops up all the time in politics and sports. She recalled to The Boot: "There was this really funny Saturday Night Live segment when Will Ferrell was on it. He is a spy and sits next to Maya Rudolph in a bar and uses a code word. He says, 'Do you like luxury?' So I was driving and thinking about that and picking apart what the term means. In a love song, it might mean one person understands the love and one doesn't."

    McKenna went on to say that she finds songs sneak up on her. "They can start in one direction and you think they will be one way, and then the song takes over and changes direction," she said. "Those are the songs that work best. My favorite kind of writing is when the words and music come at the same time. I'm not good at taking words and applying them to music or the other way around. That's why this is a lick-based song. I didn't write it the same day I was driving around. I have a little book I write down things in. I can usually tell by the title if I'm better off writing it by myself, if it's too hard to explain to a [co-writer]. The idea for this song came the one day and then [developed] when I had a couple days to think about it and play my guitar."
  • It was Faith Hill who told Urban about this song. McKenna explained to The Boot: "[Keith] had heard the song and liked it and was drawn to the title, but Faith put a bug in his ear and sort of reminded him about it."
  • McKenna gave her thoughts about the Australian country star's rendition: "Keith Urban can really play guitar. He did such a great job on it. I am a very limited guitar player. The way he played it really made it awesome and brought so much to the song. It kind of made me want to cry."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.