‘Ain't How It Ends’ by Post Malone - Lyrics & Meaning

Just when you thought Post Malone's foray into country music couldn't get any better, his freshly dropped F-1 Trillion came accompanied by the surprise F-1 Trillion - Long Bed.

This deluxe version of Malone's country debut consists of 9 more tracks, a batch of new solo offerings from the hitmaker and a departure from the original F-1 Trillion's star-studded lineup.

One of the album's surplus songs, 'Ain't How it Ends,' is a darling ode, not just to a loved one but to the country ballads that have the ability to capture exactly what we're feeling.

Twang-filled and weightless, 'Ain't How it Ends' is reminiscent of those enduring '90s country ballads that still fill us with butterflies. It's the kind of song that inspires giddiness in the first few sweeps of fiddle and makes us want to fall in love with the brush of each pillowy beat.

Coupled with the song's bittersweet sentiment, 'Ain't How it Ends' has that sound – delicate yet expressive, simple but effective – that keeps you coming back for more.

"Ain't it a shame, girl,
That we had it all almost
Now, there's no other way, girl,
That's just the way love goes
'Cause Waylon, Willy, Jones and Whitley,
They made all the rules
So I'll just have me one more whiskey
Right here on this stool"

'Ain't How it Ends' opens with Malone on the bottle end of a broken heart. In a bar somewhere, he finds himself reminiscing about the love he's lost. They could have had it all, he thinks, but he's resolute, seeming to understand too well how things come to an end.

He turns to all the great country artists, the legendary dealers of love songs, for advice, because in the end, "Waylon, Willy, Jones and Whitley / They made all the rules."

"Baby, I could put the bottle down,
You could say you wanna come back home
I can leave this bar right now,
You can meet me at the door with nothin' on.
We can find a way to work this out,
Oh, but girl, it would feel so wrong
No comin' back, 'cause, baby,
That ain't how it ends in a country song
(Ain't how it ends)
In a country song
(Ain't how it ends)"

They could make amends and go back to each other, make big, bold declarations of love and make it all work out.However, Malone is more realistic, knowing good and well "that ain't how it ends in a country song."

He bittersweetly sings, "Oh, baby, it ain't right / If we change our minds right now," explaining how he learned from "Hank and Johnny, Strait and Ronnie" what it means to stay and how to move on when you can't.

Baby, I could put the bottle down,
You could say you wanna come back home
I can leave this bar right now,
You can meet me at the door with nothin' on.
We can find a way to work this out,
Oh, but girl, it would feel so wrong
No comin' back, 'cause, baby,
That it ain't how it ends in a country song
(Ain't how it ends)
In a country song
(Ain't how it ends)

Post Malone has not spoken about 'Ain't How It Ends’ specifically just yet, but the Texas native has touched more broadly on how welcoming the country music community has been to him since he announced his foray into the genre.

In an interview with Anthony Mason for CBS in Nashville, the ‘Chemical’ singer-songwriter shared, “Everyone here was so accepting and kind”. When Mason described this as a testament to Post Malone's genial, warm character, Posty immediately responded with an endearing dismissal, “I disagree. I think it's a testament to them”.

Ain't it a shame, girl,
That we had it all almost
Now, there's no other way, girl,
That's just the way love goes
'Cause Waylon, Willy, Jones and Whitley,
They made all the rules
So I'll just have me one more whiskey
Right here on this stool

Baby, I could put the bottle down,
You could say you wanna come back home
I can leave this bar right now,
You can meet me at the door with nothin' on.
We can find a way to work this out,
Oh, but girl, it would feel so wrong
No comin' back, 'cause, baby,
That it ain't how it ends in a country song
(Ain't how it ends)
In a country song
(Ain't how it ends)

You gotta have some taillights,
The kind that don't turn around
Oh, baby, it ain't right
If we change our minds right now
'Cause Hank and Johnny, Strait and Ronnie,
Donе made all the rules
Thе girl gets gone, got ties run on,
Like it's suppose to do

Baby, I could put the bottle down,
You could say you wanna come back home
I can leave this bar right now,
You can meet me at the door with nothin' on.
We can find a way to work this out,
Oh, but girl, it would feel so wrong
No comin' back, 'cause, baby,
That it ain't how it ends in a country song
(Ain't how it ends)
In a country song
(Ain't how it ends)

Baby, I could put the bottle down,
You could say you wanna come back home
I can leave this bar right now,
You can meet me at the door with nothin' on.
We can find a way to work this out,
Oh, but girl, it would feel so wrong
No comin' back, 'cause, baby,
That it ain't how it ends in a country song
(Ain't how it ends)
In a country song
(Ain't how it ends)
In a country song
(Ain't how it ends)
Ain't how it ends in a country
(Ain't how it ends)
Ain't how it ends in a country
(Ain't how it ends)
In a country song

––

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