'Milwaukee' by Wyatt Flores – Lyrics & Meaning

Ever since Wyatt Flores performed 'Milwaukee' during his debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage in January, country music lovers have been captivated by the emotion-packed track that tells of a former fling leaving Flores on the streets of the Wisconsin city.

Serving as a one tune from his two-song set, 'Milwaukee' garnered a great deal of applause from Opry attendees, resulting in its release later that month on the 26th.

Written by Graham Barham, Gavin Lucas, Cole Miracle and Flores, 'Milwaukee' is one of three previously released songs – alongside 'Wish I Could Stay' and a cover of The Fray's 'How To Save A Life' – that will be featured on his forthcoming Half Life EP, set for release on April 19.

'Milwaukee' begins with the same strings and longing sound as his breakthrough hit, 'Please Don’t Go'.

As his twangy vocals enter the track, the repeated howls throughout the song showcases a different side of the Oklahoma native. With 'Milwaukee' highlighting his impressive vocal range – utilizing a falsetto sound that's yet to be seen across his music so far – the song shows that Flores is much more than meets the eye.

"Somewhere in Milwaukee
There's snow covering concrete
And I still see you walking away
And I tried to say I'm sorry
That frozen rain kept falling
And I couldn't find the words to make you stay"

Transporting listeners to a snowy Milwaukee night, Flores sings about his split from a significant other, apologizing as she walks away from him once and for all.

"You can hate my eyes for watching you leave
Hate my should have chased you down feet
And I tried to keep you wrapped in my arms
You can hate my hands for lettin' you go
Hate my lips for kissing yours cold
Hiding all my feelings in the dark
Please don't hate my heart"

Stuck enduring the icy feeling that comes after a flame burning out between two ex-lovers – symbolized by the frigid Wisconsin weather – Flores pleads to his partner not to "hate his heart", admitting that he couldn't care less if she hated his eyes, feet, hands or lips.

After all, she can't deny that he gave their relationship his all.

"And I's choked up on that freezing wind
I bit my tongue until it bled
Holding back the words 'til my lungs turned blue
And I still see your fingerprints
Running across my frostbit skin
All I'm breathing in is the truth"

This icy feeling continues as Flores details what it was like once his former flame walked away.

Admitting that he was holding back some harsh words, the country crooner was forced to accept the truth of the breakup, regardless of how much it hurt him.

Followed by two choruses and a bridge, 'Milwaukee' leaves the listener to reflect on this spine-chilling heartbreak that Flores was forced to endure.

Aside from sharing a series of teasers via social media – which built up excitement for the song – Flores shared the meaning behind 'Milwaukee' in an interview with RFD-TV.

“‘Milwaukee’ is for all the times that you’ve loved someone but didn’t fully love them. It’s a love letter to love lost with the clarity of mistakes made," he explained. "We all hope that our mistakes don’t define us, and ‘Milwaukee’ is about just that. Love is an action, and if you don’t work to hold onto it, it’ll slip through your fingers.”

Somewhere in Milwaukee
There's snow covering concrete
And I still see you walking away
And I tried to say I'm sorry
That frozen rain kept falling
And I couldn't find the words to make you stay

Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh

You can hate my eyes for watching you leave
Hate my should have chased you down feet
And I tried to keep you wrapped in my arms
You can hate my hands for lettin' you go
Hate my lips for kissing yours cold
Hiding all my feelings in the dark
Please don't hate my heart

And I's choked up on that freezing wind
I bit my tongue until it bled
Holding back the words 'til my lungs turned blue
And I still see your fingerprints
Running across my frostbit skin
All I'm breathing in is the truth

You can hate my eyes for watching you leave
Hate my should have chased you down feet
And I tried to keep you wrapped in my arms
You can hate my hands for lettin' you go
Hate my lips for kissing yours cold
Hiding all my feelings in the dark
Please don't hate my heart
Now please don't hate my heart

Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh

You can hate my eyes for watching you leave (ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
Hate my should have chased you down feet (ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
And I tried to keep you wrapped in my arms (ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
You can hate my hands for letting you go (ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
Hate my lips for kissing yours cold (ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
And hiding all my feelings in the dark (ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
Please don't hate my heart

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For more on Wyatt Flores, see below: