Redesigning Women

Album: The Highwomen (2019)
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Songfacts®:

  • The Highwomen is an all-female supergroup comprised of country singer Maren Morris, Americana songstress Brandi Carlile, Nashville songwriter Natalie Hemby, and fiddler Amanda Shires.

    The band's name is not a pot reference; it is inspired by another country supergroup, The Highwaymen, who launched in the 1980s.
  • This is The Highwomen's first official single; it was released on July 19, 2019. The song, written by Hemby with fellow Nashville songsmith Rodney Clawson, is a reflection on the many roles women play in the world. Over an organ-driven melody, the quartet combine an empowering message with a humorous poke at female foibles.

    Tryin' to get home just to feed the babies
    Skippin' the bread for the butter
    Changin' our minds like we change our hair color
    Yeah, ever since the beginning, we've been redesigning women


    Said Hemby: "'Redesigning Women' is the life most women are living today. We juggle so much in 24 hours and I wanted to write a song that reflected the goodness, the madness and the hilarity of it all."
  • The title is a play on Designing Women a TV sitcom about a group of women who worked as interior designers. The show ran from 1986-1993.
  • The song features Carlile's frequent collaborators, twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth, who play bass and acoustic guitar, respectively. Shires' husband, Jason Isbell, plays electric guitar.
  • The music video, directed by Elizabeth Olmstead, finds the Highwomen hosting a bonfire in which they set fire to various symbols of modern womanhood. These include prom queen sashes, exercise equipment. lingerie, ironing boards, teacups and a kitchen table. Among the female friends hanging out with the quartet are Tanya Tucker, Cassadee Pope, Wynonna Judd, Cam, Kassi Ashton and Lauren Alaina.
  • The Highwomen made their late night TV debut on the July 30, 2019 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performing this song and "Crowded Table."

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