‘Dandelion’ by Ella Langley - Lyrics & Meaning

Hot on the heels of Ella Langley's momentous announcement that she'd be dropping her sophomore album, Dandelion, on April 10th, the Alabama native has treated us to the title-track from the eagerly anticipated project. ‘Dandelion’ finds the Alabama native paying tribute to her roots and her refusal to change herself for someone else, using the simply but poetic image of a dandelion as a symbol for how she is able to still thrive amidst immense pressure and challenges.

‘Dandelion’ continues in the classic country vein of Langley staples like ‘Choosin‘ Texas’ and ‘you look like you love me’, but with a slightly more spacey, atmospheric feel.

It's an undulating slow-burner, with the ‘Never Met Anyone Like You’ crooner's enchanting, laidback vocals drifting dreamily across the warm, guitar-led instrumental. ‘Dandelion’ doesn't pack the same immediately catchy and infectious punch as ‘Choosin’ Texas’ - but that's because it's not supposed to be a Country Radio chart-topper. Rather, it's intended as an insightful, intimate introduction to the ‘paint the town blue’ singer-songwriter's exciting new musical chapter.

‘Dandelion’ revolves around the idea that these typically belittled flowers - which are often deemed to be weeds - are much more resilient and valuable than you might initially assume. In building the track around this metaphor, Langley reflects on how she has felt overlooked throughout her career, as well as touching on how she will never be able to leave her roots (“There's things I can't change, like how I was raised / The Bible in my blood, and the 'Bama in my veins”).

There's a plethora of satisfying garden-related wordplay and imagery that will pique the interest of any country-curious horticulturists, with Langley playfully and proudly likening her independent spirit and wilder side to the titular flower (“Tucked back in the weeds, guess that's just me / In a bed of red roses, I'm the one growing up on the wilder side / So if you're tired of thorns, I'm a little more / Dandelion”).

Langley frames this likeness both in terms of her personality, and in terms of how she approaches relationships, with the ‘nicotine’ trailblazer addressing a future lover as she warns them that she might not be your average “pink bouquet” kind of gal.

In the teaser trailer for the new album, Langley explains why she chose these unassuming weeds as the core symbol for her next era of music, “Dandelions are masters of survival, thriving in even the harshest environments. Often dismissed as a common weed, this unassuming plant carries a deeper symbolism of hope, healing and resilience. This next record to me has so much growth in it”.

The country hitmaker expands, “I feel the most myself I've ever felt. I want you to dance, I want you to sing, I want you to be able to relate to these words in a way where you don't feel alone in your thoughts. I want you to not even worry about anything and daydream and listen to these songs. I want you to enjoy them with your friends and family, and I've thought about this record every single day for the last year and a half. And I'm so excited to finally say, ‘Welcome to Dandelion’”.

“Tried leavin' where I come from, but I'm always gonna go back
I tried sipping on the champagne, but it's always gonna be Jack
There's things I can't change, like how I was raised
The Bible in my blood, and the 'Bama in my veins
Ain't a pink bouquet in the flower store
I'm okay if I'm a little more

Dandelion
Born to live free, riding on a breeze
On a summer night
Tucked back in the weeds, guess that's just me
In a bed of red roses, I'm the one growing up on the wilder side
So if you're tired of thorns, I'm a little more
Dandelion

No stranger to a dirt road or a country muddy river bank
If you're picking me, you oughta know
I wasn't made for a fancy crystal vase
A mason jar and old blue jeans, from my roots to my boots, I'll always be

A dandelion
Born to live free, riding on a breeze
On a summer night
Tucked back in the weeds, guess that's just me
In a bed of red roses, I'm the one growing up on the wilder side
So if you're tired of thorns, I'm a little more
Dandelion
Oh, oh, oh, Dandelion

Been a little overlooked all my life
But if you know where to look
It sounds like you might like

A dandelion
Born to live free, riding on a breeze
On a summer night
Tucked back in the weeds, guess that's just me
In a bed of red roses, I'm the one growing up on the wilder side
So if you're tired of thorns, I'm a little more
Dandelion

Whoa, dandelion
Oh, oh, oh, dandelion
Mmm
Dandelion, uh
Been a little overlooked, yeah, all my life
Well, least I made you look maybe once or twice
Mmm, dandelion”

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Ella Langley

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