Stay by Sugarland - Songfacts

Album: Enjoy The Ride (2006)

Charted: 32

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This song of cheating and betrayal was the first Sugarland song written entirely by their singer, Jennifer Nettles. It was a #1 Country hit in the US. The song is about a woman who is having an affair with a married man who keeps promising her that he's going to divorce his wife to be with her. By the end of the song, she realizes that he's not going to honor his words, and she tells him to stay with his wife instead. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Brooke - Radcliff, KY
This was the most-watched video on CMT.com in 2007. In an interview with CMT (Country Music Television), Nettles explained that she wrote the song in 2003, and it was inspired by Reba McEntire's "Whoever's in New England," which is from the perspective of a wife whose husband is cheating on her. Nettles wanted to write from the perspective of the two people doing the cheating. Said Nettles: "Even though the person who is cheating might think he or she is getting away with something, they know they aren't living their highest truth, and they wouldn't be in the situation if they were just happy-go-lucky in the first place. Nobody is happy in this situation."
This was a very emotional song for Nettles, and it came together quickly. She told CMT: "It was just in a couple of sittings on my couch," she explains. "And once the first line came, 'I've been sitting here staring at the clock on the wall. I've been laying here, praying she won't call,' the story just unfolded."
The other member of Sugarland is Kristian Bush, and although he and Nettles are very close, they insist it is like a brother-sister relationship and that this song is not autobiographical.
This won the Song of the Year award at the 2008 ACM awards, marking the first time a female artist had ever held solo writing credit on an ACM Song of the Year winner. It also was the Fan's Choice for Song of the Year.
At the 2009 Grammy Awards, this won for Best County Duo/Group Performance with Vocals. Sugarland performed the song at the ceremony.
Kristian Bush tells us that Nettles didn't have much confidence in this song. "She squirreled it away, like she didn't think it was very good," he said. Once he convinced her to let him hear the song, she played it for Bush and he loved it. The song became the first Sugarland track that was written by just one member. "It was kind of fun," Kristian said. "She's a great writer, and people didn't really know that, they just associated her with singing, because they didn't really know her previous career. It was fun to help her redefine that for herself."
The duo tried recording what Kristian Bush calls a "Black Crowes version" of this song, and then a version with an orchestra and a huge chorus before deciding that the song worked best with just the two of them performing on the track in a simple arrangement.

"I kept trying to make it work, and it just wasn't as good as what happened when the two of us just sat down and played it," Bush told us. "Pretty soon we were like, Okay, forget it. Let's just the two of us play it. I said, 'Well, if we do this, it might never go on the radio, because radio will probably never take an acoustic song that's five minutes long.'

But we decided that you serve the song, you don't serve the radio. And sure enough, as fate has it, they ended up playing it on the radio and it was a big old hit song."

Comments: 17

Kmit69 from Nc@Mark from Denver CO, Jon Bon Jovi has been married and faithful to his wife for 36 years. He may have been one of the best Rockers of our Generation, but at home he was grounded and a family man and is close to his kids. His wife was by his side as he recently went through major Vocal Cord Surgery. Just because a male and female singer do a duet, it doesn't mean their cheating. That is such a ridiculous assumption.
Bella from KatyLove
Paula Harmon from Dawson AlabamaThis song is so powerful, even in 2021. I can relate to this song, I too loved a man but I had a feeling that he only wanted one thing from me. I became pregnant with his child, and I had to raise that baby by myself. Yes it was hard, but I refused to use my child to get that man to stay. Who wants someone that never wanted you? Well I listened to this song and I found myself one day telling this man that he should crawl back to his wife because I'm stronger without him. He called me for three months wanting me back, and yes there was that thought of always thinking, he may change this time. But he never left his wife, so I'm still all by myself but, I know my worth, and he'll never be able to get over the one that has put him up on a pedestal. I'll save my love for the one person who knows that all I ask of them is just love.
Bracket311 This song is about sharing her man with a drug not a women, it’s about how she has to share him as an addict with whatever drug her ex was on, this is not a cheating song. I know I have read the reason behind it....
Melissa from Utah@Mark from Denver, Co
"One thing I can guarantee you....this song is about Jennifer and Jon Bon Jovi"......
How do you figure? Just because they recorded a song together doesn't mean they had an affair... Quit assuming.
Chelsea from Longview, WaThis isn't a cheating song, this is a healing song. This is a story. It shows you how both of these women love this man so much, and they both know what's going on. It's about being in a hopeless situation, knowing that no matter what you decide to do, you're going to be in pain. This song is about growing as a person, about doing what will be the best for you in the end, and its about having the strength to do what you need to do, no matter how much you don't want to. This song is inspirational, and I wish I was half as brave as her.
Samantha from Gouldsboro, Pato Maranda,
this song isent about them getting kicked to the curb but is about the person he is doing it with realizes he does not deserve her. whats not to love about a women actually coming to her senses and becoming strong?
Melissa from Oxford, MsJade,
She quit the band to concentrate solely on song-writing, I heard.
Mark from Denver, CoOne thing I can guarantee you....this song is about Jennifer and Jon Bon Jovi....
Elizabeth from Algona, WaI like to think of this song as a love song too.....not just a cheating song.
Amandamarie from Bath, MiI love this song! It is just utterly AMAZING!
Kaylah from Stoneville, Nci used to not like this song because of the POV, but I caught myself singing it oneday and I liked how it sounded....now I love it!
Beck from Columbus, OhIt's a very powerful song. If you hate the song, simply don't listen to it.
Jade from Cancun, Mexicowhat happened to the other girl that used to be in sugarland?
Debbie from Dudley, CtI love Mark Williams and this is my song to him.
Maranda from New Castle, DeI hate this song. No "cheating" song is a good one, unless it is about cheaters getting kicked to the curb by their spouses.
Brooke from Radcliff, KyAnother good cheating song is "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks.

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