‘Buzzkill’ by Lanie Gardner - Lyrics & Meaning

Just three months after releasing her debut album, A Songwriter's Diary, in October 2024, Lanie Gardner has kept the momentum high by kicking off 2025 with the infectious ‘Buzzkill’.

The surprise single is a playful, light-hearted warning to another woman's boyfriend, with Gardner and her bar-friends advising him to leave her in the dust before it's too late. It's an uptempo earworm that showcases the country prodigy's charisma, with Lanie Gardner striking the tongue-in-cheek tone of ‘Buzzkill’ perfectly.

Throughout ‘Buzzkill’, Lanie Gardner croons conversationally across a staccato, rhythmic guitar riff and an energising but sparse beat, accentuating the light-hearted mood of the narrative. Although the bright, pared-down instrumental flirts with a pop-leaning sound, the lead guitar's unmistakable twang and the occasional cry of steel ensures ‘Buzzkill’ is grounded firmly in country. The track marks a departure from the deeply introspective and largely acoustic feel of A Songwriter's Diary.

“You met a Barbie doll, show stopper, beauty queen

Lookin’ like she stumbled out a magazine

Dirty martinis and skinny jeans

Miss Hollywood takin’ over Tennessee”

Lanie Gardner spends much of ‘Buzzkill’ describing the various ways in which the woman in question is a poor choice of girlfriend. She portrays how, on the surface, the ‘Buzzkill’ is beautiful and eye-catching, and possibly even worthy of being a cover star. Gardner hints that her city roots, however, are polluting her beloved Tennessee.

“You think she’s one of a kind

And I think lust has made you blind

But she don’t fit and friends don’t lie

That’s right!”

Lanie Gardner accuses the man she's addressing of allowing his lust to cloud his decision-making, suggesting that all their mutual friends agree this woman is not good for him.

“Buddy she’s a buzzkill

I don’t mean to be rude

But I think it’s ‘bout time somebody tell you the truth

A pair of high heels

With a bad attitude

She’s a clout chaser, heartbreaker

Don’t be a fool

They ain’t gonna say it but you bet your ass I will

Yeah buddy she’s a buzzkill

(Yeah buddy she’s a buzzkill)”

As Lanie Gardner launches into the hook, she delivers the titular line, donning the woman a ‘buzzkill’, again depicting the clash between her alluring appearance and her unpleasant personality with the cutting line, “A pair of high heels / With a bad attitude”.

Gardner admits that the man's pals all agree with her, but she's the only one courageous enough to tell him to his face - which could, if the listener wishes to search for a deeper meaning and embellish the story a little, imply she has feelings for him. Alternatively, of course, the protagonist may just be a concerned friend.

“She’s a b**** -eautiful city broad

Clearly been cut from a different cloth

She hates your friends, hates your dog

And we all agree the girl’s gotta get gone

(Bye bye)

Hey man I don’t mean to pry

And it’s no business of mine

But your mama would off me if I stayed quiet

Oh my!”

Lanie Gardner opens this verse with a witty play on words, as she starts to call the woman a derogatory name...before quickly - and hilariously - pivoting and switching it to “beautiful”.

Lanie Gardner offers arguably the worst quality this woman could possess - disliking the man's dog. In a country song, if the partner doesn't like the lead character's dog, that's code for ‘they're bad news’. Gardner reveals that the man's mother has even been on to her, trying to encourage her to share her concerns with her son.

“We’re all five beers deep and sober as a judge

Hate to break it to you but”

Amusingly, Lanie Gardner admits that she - and her group of friends - are all somewhat intoxicated, before contradicting this by drunkenly claiming they're “sober as a judge”. This suggests her advice is coloured by a little tipsiness - but as they say, “in vino veritas”, with the truth often arising more freely when alcohol is involved.

In tandem with the arrival of ‘Buzzkill’, Lanie Gardner took to socials to express her gratitude for fans’ support, as well as hinting at further releases to come, “Thank y’all for all the love for this song :) It’s definitely a fav. More new music coming so soon. Eyes peeled!”

In an official statement, Gardner explained where the song came from, ““I wrote this song about a friend who had a habit of bringing around the textbook ‘mean girls,’ the ones you could see coming from a mile away. They always had bad intentions. He’s as stubborn as a mule, so we all figured we’d just let him be. But me? I like a buzz when I’ve caught it. So somebody had to say something - and you bet your a** I did. And I put it in a song. I give you ‘Buzzkill!’”

“You met a Barbie doll, show stopper, beauty queen

Lookin’ like she stumbled out a magazine

Dirty martinis and skinny jeans

Miss Hollywood takin’ over Tennessee

-

You think she’s one of a kind

And I think lust has made you blind

But she don’t fit and friends don’t lie

That’s right!

-

Buddy she’s a buzzkill

I don’t mean to be rude

But I think it’s ‘bout time somebody tell you the truth

A pair of high heels

With a bad attitude

She’s a clout chaser, heartbreaker

Don’t be a fool

They ain’t gonna say it but you bet your ass I will

Yeah buddy she’s a buzzkill

(Yeah buddy she’s a buzzkill)

-

She’s a b**** -eautiful city broad

Clearly been cut from a different cloth

She hates your friends, hates your dog

And we all agree the girl’s gotta get gone

(Bye bye)

Hey man I don’t mean to pry

And it’s no business of mine

But your mama would off me if I stayed quiet

Oh my!

-

Buddy she’s a buzzkill

I don’t mean to be rude

But I think it’s ‘bout time somebody tell you the truth

A pair of high heels

With a bad attitude

She’s a clout chaser, heartbreaker

Don’t be a fool

They ain’t gonna say it but you bet your ass I will

Yeah buddy she’s a buzzkill

Yeah buddy she’s a buzzkill

-

We’re all five beers deep and sober as a judge

Hate to break it to you but

-

She’s a buzzkill

I don’t mean to be rude

But I think it’s ‘bout time you get to cuttin’ her loose

A pair of high heels

With a bad attitude

She’s a clout chaser, heartbreaker

Don’t be a fool

They ain’t gonna say it but you bet your ass I will

(One time for the people in the back)

They ain’t gonna say it but you bet your ass I will

Yeah buddy she’s a buzzkill”

For more on Lanie Gardner, see below: