‘Who Hurt You?’ by Megan Moroney – Lyrics & Meaning

In the lead-up to Megan Moroney's highly anticipated 2026 studio album, Cloud 9, the ‘Tennessee Orange’ hitmaker teased that one song in particular, ‘Who Hurt You?’, would find her delving into a specific romantic “situation” without holding back.

Inevitably, fans quickly assumed the Georgia native was talking about Riley Green, with Moroney and Green being romantically linked throughout last year, with the duo then supposedly becoming part of a rumoured love triangle involving Ella Langley.

What's true and what's conjecture, we're not sure - but either way, fans are convinced that Moroney is addressing that alleged fling on this track, ‘Who Hurt You?’ In an interview with Elaina Smith, Moroney explained that she'd penned this song so that she'd no longer have to “answer interview questions about the situation”.

Despite what many critics predicted after the arrival of Moroney's infectious, pop-infused anthem, ‘Wish I Didn't’, Cloud 9 is very country - and ‘Who Hurt You?’ epitomises that. Moroney's enchanting vocals drift dreamily across a noodling acoustic guitar, with the ‘Am I Okay?’ chart-topper keeping the ambience relaxed and laid-back, seemingly representing how our narrator is well over this heartbreak. She's not holding a vendetta or yearning to falls back into her old flame's arms, rather, she is simply lamenting the fact that her ex was not a kinder person.

‘Who Hurt You?’ finds Moroney reflecting on a break-up, as she underlines that she no longer has feelings for her old flame, but she still feels sad that he might hurt another woman like he did to her. She lambasts him for seemingly love-bombing her at the start of the relationship, such as by hand-delivering her flowers, before then changing his attitude. This, in turn, makes her think all the kindness was false.

Fans have been excitedly scouring the lyrics to ‘Who Hurt You?’ to find any potential and thinly veiled references to Green, and they think they've found them in the first verse.

“I was blinded by the lies
And the manufactured smile
The devil went down to Georgia
Then he crossed the Bama line”

Green is, of course, from Alabama, and he was spotted apparently driving around his hometown with Moroney last year when they were rumoured to be in a relationship. Later in the song, Moroney recalls spending time with her ex in his hometown. During a show shortly after they were spotted, Moroney mouthed “He f***ed up!” to a fan that was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with Green's face, implying the ‘Worst Way’ crooner made some kind of mistake in their relationship.

Additionally, some fans have been suggesting that the “manufactured smile” lyric is a reference to the rumours that Green got veneers last year. It's worth flagging that none of this is confirmed, and ‘Who Hurt You?’ might be about someone entirely different.

But fans are lapping up the supposed lore that surrounds these two, making this undulating, stripped-back offering one of the most popular releases on Cloud 9 so far.

Regardless of who it's written about, it's a stellar, empowering anthem that showcases Moroney's continued commitment to personal, evocative songwriting, even when the whole world wants to know all the salacious gossip and all the juicy details.

While chatting to Elaina Smith ahead of Cloud 9's arrival, Moroney reflected, “There's a song, ‘Who Hurt You?’, that I'm really excited for...Bar for bar, didn't lie. Said everything so that I don't have to answer interview questions about the situation...Like, here's my piece and there's no reason to ask me any questions about it, because I told you what I needed to say”, joking, “Just trying to be efficient here!” This led fans to wonder whether she was referring to all the rumours linked to Green.

“I was blinded by the lies
And the manufactured smile
The devil went down to Georgia
Then he crossed the Bama line

So casually convincing
The dream you sold was glistening
So cruel but always kidding
Are you kidding?
And I heard what they were thinking
She ignored the warning signs
But if you flew across the world for them
They too would change their mind

I guess I should’ve known
I’d be out here all alone
In the mess you made, it was all just fake
How did you get so cold?
And no, I wouldn’t take you back
But what makes it all a little sad
Is knowing I wasn’t the first
And I know I won’t be the last
Heart you break in half
To throw right in the trash
Who hurt you so bad, bad, bad?

Hometown happy hours
The hand-delivered flowers
You looked me in the eyes and told me what was yours was ours
And when I tried to run
Pump the brakes, just call it fun
You’d cosplay someone with feelings
Oh, l’ve never felt more dumb
’Cause all of that for nothing
I just don’t understand
To know you hurt a girl like me
Do you feel more like a man?

I guess I should’ve known
I’d be out here all alone
In the mess you made, it was all just fake
How did you get so cold?
And no, I wouldn’t take you back
But what makes it all a little sad
Is knowing I wasn’t the first
And I know I won’t be the last
Heart you break in half
To throw right in the trash
Who hurt you so bad, bad, bad?

You said you needed less flashy, more fun
Oh, of course she’s 21
On your arm through the bar
God, I hate how gross you are
And how did I not see it?
Your ego, it needs feeding
Endlessly, relentlessly
At the cost of me
And I’ll move on and I’ll find better
But you’ll stay the same forever
And ever, happy never

I guess now I know
I’d rather be alone
Than in the mess you made, it was all so fake
How does it not get old?
And no, I wouldn’t take you back
But what makes it all a little sad
Is knowing I wasn’t the first
And I know I won’t be the last
Heart you break in half
To throw right in the trash
Who hurt you so bad, bad, bad?”

--

For more on Megan Moroney, see below:

Megan Moroney

Artist