You Broke Up With Me

Album: Boom (2017)
Charted: 62
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Alabama native Walker Hayes moved to Nashville in 2005, hoping to get in the country music business. He landed a job writing songs for a Nashville publishing company before signing a contract with Mercury Records Nashville, He achieved two Top 50 country hits with the label, "Pants" and "Why Wait for Summer." However, Hayes got dropped by Capitol, and had to get himself a job working the night shift at Costco to support his family. After spending a number of months stacking shelves, the producer Shane McAnally recognized Hayes' talent and signed him on a publishing and production deal.
  • Co-written by Hayes with Kylie Sackley and Thomas Archer and produced by McAnally, this song tells the story of a guy out partying when his ex-girlfriend walks in. When she starts making moves on him, he rebuffs her by saying "you broke up with me."

    "Honestly," he told People the track "is really about Nashville. I've been in Nashville 13 years, and I've had deals and lost them. So I know what it's like to be hot and how everybody wants to collaborate with you."
  • Hayes' fairweather friends disappeared when he was spending his nights stocking shelves at Costco, but then turned up again following his turnaround in fortune. This song is a shrug to those people who didn't stick by his side during the hard times. Hayes explained:

    "A lot of people kind of showed up out of the woodwork after four or five years. Then they tried to make me feel guilty when I didn't want to have coffee or something with them, and I'm like man, you guys broke up with me."
  • If you listen closely at the beginning of the song, you can hear Kylie Sackley and Thomas Archer discussing the lyric in the background. The audio was taped during their original write in Walker's studio.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of WayneSongwriter Interviews

The guy who brought us "Stacy's Mom" also wrote the Jane Lynch Emmy song and Stephen Colbert's Christmas songs.

Art Alexakis of Everclear

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Matt Sorum

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."