'Skin' by Zach Bryan – Lyrics & Meaning

Zach Bryan might just be the biggest name in country music right now, and we all know that coming hand in hand with fame is drama. Bryan’s 2025 was littered with headlines and controversies - the biggest being about his relationship and breakup with podcaster Brianna ‘Chickenfry’ LaPaglia. The relationship was defined by its ups, downs, declarations and demise - ultimately, ending in fiery accusations of emotional abuse and a $12 million non-disclosure agreement.

With his phenomenally anticipated sixth studio album With Heaven On Top being released on January 9th, 2026, it seemed likely that Bryan would be continuing his deeply personal storytelling on the collection. ‘Skin’ paints a scathing picture of an old flame - with fans assuming this to be LaPaglia - as he compares the permanent damage of a relationship to the permanence of a tattoo. It's worth pointing out that Bryan and LaPaglia have matching “how lucky are we” tattoos, with LaPaglia having the tattoo before they met, and Bryan deciding to get the same one during their relationship, as well as using the line for his hit song, ‘28’.

The Oklahoman songwriter has never shied away from confronting his emotions through his music, and ‘Skin’ will undoubtedly be added to his collection of most raw and honest tracks.

This song might be a solemn one, but it's still got a powerful feel to it. Acoustic guitar picking and some gentle electric guitar in the background open up the track before Bryan's weary vocals start to tell his tale.

Percussion is heavy but never takes up too much space and even as the sound fills, the Oklahoman's lament is never lost. His short, direct questions are decorated with typical Bryan personality as he delivers a line like "Do you still talk shit on all your friends?" with a sly grin and knowing laugh.

‘How do tattoos take to your skin?
Are you walking 'round Tribeca with him?
Can you still smell that Wisconsin wind from that late October?
And are you gonna make an honest man
Out of one that doesn't understand
The difference in a one night stand and finding closure?’

‘Skin’ begins with what many believe to be questions directed towards Bryan’s ex-girlfriend, Brianna ‘Chickenfry’ LaPaglia. LaPaglia lives in New York and much of the pair’s relationship was centred in the iconic city - who she might be walking ‘round Tribeca with though, we don’t know either.

A reference to a trip to Wisconsin makes the track even more personal, before the songwriter dives into where the relationship might have been flawed to begin with. Across his 2026 album With Heaven On Top, Bryan has been addressing his own flaws and mistakes, and it seems as if he might have been using ‘love’ (or just one night stands) as a way of avoiding something bigger - real closure.

‘I'm taking a blade to my old tattoos
I'm draining the blood between me and you
I'm taking a blade to my own skin
And I ain't never touching yours again
Yeah, I ain't never touching yours again’

Bryan’s known for his tattoos covering his chest and arms, and he always seems to be getting new ones. LaPaglia has a tattoo of one of the Oklahoman’s lyrics on her arm: “how lucky are we”, however, apparently she had that one before they met and said that she isn’t planning on having it lasered off. Bryan famously got a matching tattoo in LaPaglia’s honour, but it sounds as if he might be removing it… himself.

As he sings of “taking a blade to my old tattoos”, he’s attempting to remove any memory or lingering presence of his ex-girlfriend from his mind or body, and pledges that he’ll never be touching her skin again.

‘How do tattoos take to your skin?
Is your higher ground ever sinking?
Do you love people just to win when it's over?
How do tattoos take to your skin?
Do you still talk shit on all your friends?
I'm here to take it all to the chin
This time stone cold sober‘

As the pair’s relationship became a fiery battle of NDAs and accusations, it’s hard not to see it as a competition of who came out ‘the better person’. In the summer of 2025, LaPaglia opened up on her podcast and recalled a time when Bryan “threw jabs at [her] friends and called people idiots.” In a contrasting tale of events, the songwriter now seems to be saying she was the one to “talk shit on all [her] friends” - the story is just never ending.

Asking if her “higher ground [is] ever sinking”, we see a moment of growth from Bryan in which he might just want to move on from the situation - he doesn't want to compete anymore. Towards the end of 2025, Bryan announced that he was sober and working on his mental health - here, he accepts his past and is ready to deal with it all.

“How do tattoos take to your skin?
Are you walking 'round Tribeca with him?
Can you still smell that Wisconsin wind from that late October?
And are you gonna make an honest man
Out of one that doesn't understand
The difference in a one night stand and finding closure?

-

I'm taking a blade to my old tattoos
I'm draining the blood between me and you
I'm taking a blade to my own skin
And I ain't never touching yours again
Yeah, I ain't never touching yours again

-

How do tattoos take to your skin?
Is your higher ground ever sinking?
Do you love people just to win when it's over?
How do tattoos take to your skin?
Do you still talk shit on all your friends?
I'm here to take it all to the chin
This time stone cold sober

-

I'm taking a blade to my old tattoo
I'm draining the blood between me and you
I'm taking a blade to my own skin
And I ain't never touching yours again
Yeah, I ain't never touching yours again
I'm taking a blade to my old tattoo
I'm draining the blood between me and you
I'm taking a blade to my own skin
And I ain't never touching yours again
Yeah, I ain't never touching yours again
Yeah, I ain't never touching yours again
Yeah, I ain't never touching yours again”

--

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Zach Bryan

Artist