'The Girls' by Megan Moroney - Lyrics & Meaning

Megan Moroney may be best known for songs about romantic relationships and the heartbreak that comes with them. But, as a former Kappa Delta, she knows she’d be remiss to overlook the backbone of any good heartbreak recovery; a strong sisterhood full of platonic relationships that sustain her or, quite simply, ‘the girls’.

At track 11 on new album Am I Okay?, 'The Girls' make an appearance just in time to give Meg an answer to the album’s central question. Her celebration of female friendship and the woes it pulls her through assures that, despite the turmoil of romance, she’ll be okay; as long as she keeps her trusted band of women beside her to pour the wine, listen to her stories and loyally dislike the same people that she does.

As laid back as the rapport between two women who’ve seen each other through both their darkest and finest hours, 'The Girls' has that coming-of-age feel you find in the graduation scene of a high school film. An atmospheric twang of familiar electric fill the dorm as the boxes are packed, with down home strums of acoustic playing out the stereo as the car is loaded. Each play off against the other as you see one ending blend into a new beginning, safe in the knowledge you’ll always have a place to come home to. Destined for bachelorette playlists, it’s a windows down song made for summer road trips.

They know what I’m thinkin by the look on my face

When I’m out of words they know just what to say

The first call I make when it all goes to hell

‘cause we’ve been there and back and don’t go by ourselves

Meg lets us know from the very start just how much the girls mean to her; mind readers, word fillers, first callers, they’ve seen it all before. Rides to hell may be inevitable, but a trusted friend at your side isn’t; Meg’s appreciation of the friends who join her in the darkness and the smoke is never taken for granted, and she’ll be straight along for the ride when they need her too. If Meg’s description of her bonds sound so close that they could be familial, don’t be surprised; a co-write with siblings Mackenzie and Micah Carpenter (and Ben Williams), they understand the roots that run deep between people who’ve lived a lifetime alongside each other.

God bless the girls

Who bring home the wine

When you need a friend, no they don’t think twice

They let you go on for the ten thousandth time

And tell the same stories about the same guy

They’re easy to keep

And harder to find

God bless the girls

And thank god for mine

Forget the bacon; Meg’s friends bring home the wine and they’re not shy about delivering it at the first sign of a red flag. Expert nodders, they graciously keep their tongues sore and bitten as they listen through yet another anecdote about the same man, knowing they’ll probably be listening to it again next week too. These acts may have become routine, but Meg sees the sanctity in it all, thanking God for the gift of female friendship and appreciating its rarity.

When we dress up yeah we sure draw a crowd

But we can throw down cabernet on the couch

Where we left off is right where we pick up

And if one of us don’t like you then nobody does

Megan’s unabashed embrace of the feminine is a key part of her identity, and her friends understand that too. Dressing up for a night out is just as key a part of her bonds as dressing down for a night in, but where they are is not really the point; it’s about being together, wherever that may be. Together isn’t just a place, it’s a state of mind; are you really friends if you haven’t bonded over a mutual dislike? For Meg and the girls, you get the sense that it’s a ‘no questions asked’ arrangement. The reason for the dislike is irrelevant, all that matters is proclaiming your loyalty to it.

They’ll be right beside me the day I wear white

And I know they got me till the day that I die

The Girls is a self-aware song; it knows the place it will take on bachelorette playlists of country girls everywhere. So why not go meta and reference the weddings it will inevitably be a part of? These aren’t seasonal friendships, and Meg’s confidence in their lifetime guarantee is a sweetly satisfying cherry atop the song.

Co-writer Mackenzie Carpenter shared an acoustic snippet of the song on instagram, with Megan commenting “we gotta put out an acoustic version”. Carpenter also revealed that 'The Girls', 'Indifferent' and '28th of June' were all written on 17th December 2023, giving truth to the saying that good things come in threes.

They know what I'm thinkin’ by the look on my face
When I'm out of words they know just what to say
The first call I make when it all goes to hell
'Cause we’ve been there and back and don't go by ourselves

God bless the girls
Who bring home the wine
When you need a friend, no, they don't think twice
They let you go on for the ten-thousandth time
And tell the same stories about the same guy
They're easy to keep
And harder to find
God bless thе girls
And thank God for mine

When we drеss up, yeah, we sure draw a crowd
But we can throw down cabernet on the couch
Where we left off is right where we pick up
And if one of us don't like you then nobody does

God bless the girls
Who bring home the wine
When you need a friend, no, they don't think twice
They let you go on for the ten-thousandth time
And tell the same stories about the same guy
They're easy to keep
And harder to find
God bless the girls
And thank God for mine

They'll be right beside me the day I wear white
And I know they got me till the day that I die

God bless the girls
Who bring home the wine
When you need a friend, no, they don’t think twice
They let you go on for the ten-thousandth time
And tell the same stories about the same shitty guy
They’re easy to keep
And harder to find
God bless the girls
And thank God for mine

Thank God for mine
God bless the girls

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