‘Ways to Go’ by The Castellows – Lyrics & Meaning

Since emerging seemingly out of nowhere in fall of 2023, The Castellows have been steadily placed at the forefront of this next generation of country hitmakers.

The neo-traditional trio, composed of sisters Lily, Ellie and Powell, issued their first project in February, an EP dubbed A Little Goes A Long Way. Made up of seven songs, including debut single 'No. 7 Road,' 'Cowboy Kind of Love' and their haunting cover of Leon Helm's ‘Hurricane,' it was only a matter of months before the girls started popping out more new offerings.

From their patriotic 'Miss America' to their Wyatt Flores-graced 'Sober Sundays,' each new addition has added to their small but mighty catalogue, and it's newest addition, 'Ways to Go,' only continues the hot streak.

If you've seen this Georgia trio in concert at any point in 2024, you'll have heard this upbeat offering, which celebrates youth and the many paths you can take to follow your dreams.

As with most songs in their repertoire thus far, all three of the Castellow girls had a hand in writing 'Ways to Go,' alongside two major players in the Nashville songwriting universe: Nicolle Galyon and Will Bundy.

Though Bundy is also a celebrated and sought after producer in his own right, the girls tapped Chip Matthews to be behind the soundboard for this one, which finds the trio once again tapping into their polished neo-traditional sound that straddles the lines of country and pop.

With an acoustic strumming along to a steady kick drum while a few other players float around in the background, Lily' vocals come through crystal clear. However, when the sisters join together for their signature three-part harmonies, alongside Powell's trusty banjo picking, that's when the magic happens.

"She's a prodigal daughter, a product of her father
Salt of the earth and her mama's alma mater
Might stick around, might go to state, might settle down, might fly away

She's got an FFA blue ribbon in her closet
Straight from the page of American Gothic
Might take a plane or a no name road
She's got a lot of ways to go"

The song opens with an introduction to who we assume will be our main character for the next two and a half minutes or so.

Described as a "prodigal daughter," which is defined by someone who spends money or resources recklessly and which they credit to her father, she's also equally down to earth like her mother. As she feels the push and pull of these two ideas, it's clear that her future is as bright as she wants it to be, though, she hasn't settled on any particular path just yet.

A member of her high school's FFA (formerly the Future Farmers of America), it's underlined that her options are limitless: she can go to college, she can stay and work on the farm, she can go somewhere far away and see what the world has to offer her or something else entirely.

"She's on to something but she ain't there yet
She's every song on the radio
Where she runs is anybody's guess
God bless that girl
She's got a lot of ways to go"

The catchy chorus continues this train of thought, explaining that she's well on her way to her future, even if she doesn't know exactly what that looks like yet.

At the end of the day, no one will ever be able to control her or tell her what to do because her future is in her hands and there are so many different routes she can take to reach whatever her goal is.

"Penny in her pockets, pick for her guitar
Picture in a locket, hanging on her heart
Is she heading south or straight for the sun?
When she figures it out, it's like a bullet from a gun"

While we get the inkling that this girl is a budding singer-songwriter who's chasing the spotlight – kind of like the girls who are singing it – the second verse further serves to reiterate what we've heard so far.

Once she figures out exactly what she wants to do with her life, it's off to the races for this young, talented woman.

"She's on to something but she ain't there yet
She's every song on the radio
Where she runs is anybody's guess
God bless that girl
She's got a lot of ways to go"

As mentioned, The Castellows have been gracing live audiences with 'Ways to Go' for quite some time now, dating back through much of 2024.

While much hasn't been shared regarding the new tune, the trio did share on socials: "If anyone has heard us play a show this year this song has likely been our opener," adding, "We hope y’all love this song as much as we do!"

She's a prodigal daughter, a product of her father
Salt of the earth and her mama's alma mater
Might stick around, might go to state, might settle down, might fly away

She's got an FFA blue ribbon in her closet
Straight from the page of American Gothic
Might take a plane or a no name road
She's got a lot of ways to go

She's on to something but she ain't there yet
She's every song on the radio
Where she runs is anybody's guess
God bless that girl
She's got a lot of ways to go

Penny in her pockets, pick for her guitar
Picture in a locket, hanging on her heart
Is she heading south or straight for the sun?
When she figures it out, it's like a bullet from a gun

She's on to something but she ain't there yet
She's every song on the radio
Where she runs is anybody's guess
God bless that girl
She's got a lot of ways to go

She's on her way but there ain't no rush
Yeah, what's the point of being young?

She's on to something but she ain't there yet
She's every song on the radio
Where she runs is anybody's guess
God bless that girl
She's got a lot of ways

She's on to something but she ain't there yet
She's every song on the radio
Where she runs is anybody's guess
God bless that girl
She's got a lot of ways to go
She's got a lot of ways

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