Rich

Album: Hero (2016)
Charted: 62
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Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Maren Morris singing about a relationship with an unreliable guy. He makes promise after promise but never ever keeps them. The tune takes its title from the popular maxim, "If I had a dollar every time…"
  • The chorus of "Rich" ends with an expletive from Morris. (Naturally, the radio version is edited). The singer told Rolling Stone Country that she is simply being true to herself:

    "I just try to write how I would say it. I'm only shooting myself in the foot if I write it in a way where I wouldn't speak like that. I don't get this whole glossing over fun little tidbits of people's personalities. That's not how we talk … But it's also just fun to throw in colorful language, whether it's a cuss word or not. I want people to listen to this and feel like it's their friend saying it to them."
  • Morris co-wrote the song with Laura Veltz and Jessie Jo Dillon. The singer explained to Rolling Stone that she has always been attracted to songwriters who have the knack of telling it like it is. "That's what I've always gravitated toward. If you listen to a John Prine song or a Johnny Cash song, everything is said poetically. But it's not trying to be poetic - it's actually very plainly stated. But you connect to it and it's beautiful," she said. "I appreciate the art of saying it like it is."
  • The song's Western-themed video was filmed in Tucson, Arizona and directed by TK McKamy. Tucson has already been the home to several famous Westerns such as Three Amigos and Tombstone. There are several cameos throughout the clip including Morris' husband, Ryan Hurd, as well as members of her management team, band, and crew.
  • Maren Morris revealed in a behind-the-scenes video that it rained all day during the shoot. In spite of the wet weather, the singer said it was "the most fun, easy shoot" she'd ever done. "I kind of conquered my fear of horses," Morris added. "I had a very nice horse."
  • Maren Morris told ABC Radio she originally envisioned this bouncy track as "a sort of a heartbreaking moment" on the Hero album. The day she wrote it with Laura Veltz and Jessie Jo Dillon, "it was gonna be a really sad song: If I had a dime every time you've ripped my heart out, I would be rich."

    However, things took a different direction when the trio realized how catchy it was so they decided to "make it really fun and funky."

    Morris concluded: "You never know where the song is gonna end up until you're there. But it's one of my favorite moments on the record."
  • Laura Veltz recalled to Billboard this cut "was accidentally put on hold for Little Big Town." Morris had to call the group and ask "Hey, do you mind if I take the song back?"

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