'You're an Asshole, I Can't Stand You (and I Want a Divorce)' by Orville Peck with Margo Price – Lyrics & Meaning

When Orville Peck released Stampede, a two-part duets album, the masked troubadour unleashed some of music's most unexpected and yet instantly lovable collaborations.

Stampede includes rollicking romps with cross-genre stars like Elton John, Noah Cyrus, Beck, Kylie Minogue and Diplo. The album also spotlights some of Peck's fellow country hitmakers, such as Willie Nelson, Mickey Guyton and Midland. There is one pairing on the album, though, that shines among them all.

For the release, Peck joined forces with straight-shooting Margo Price; and together, they recorded a laughably relatable, deliciously tongue-in-cheek tune that will have you belting, "You're an asshole, I can't stand you, and I want a divorce!"

'You're an Asshole, I Can't Stand You (and I Want a Divorce)' kicks off with a swift drum beat before a light shower of shimmering strings. From there, the Western-textured tune becomes flecked with moaning steel and crisp, shuffling rhythms.

The Price-penned song has layers, building from a faraway warble of weepy strings and softened tempo into a sturdy waltz of trilling keys and brilliant steel.

It's a striking arrangement, beautifully complimenting both artist's singular vocals, and the perfect foil for a couple's quarrel to unfold.

"I woke up this morning
In our king-size bed
Everyday you get further away"

"The silence is louder
Than what you ain't said
But I hear the words you can't say"

'You're an Asshole, I Can't Stand You (and I Want a Divorce)' opens with Price delicately crooning about a love grown distant. She's been waking up to find her and her partner are increasingly further away from one another.

Peck joins in on the opening verse, echoing something similar. Not only have they grown apart, they're not speaking and much is being left unsaid. They both seem to read the writing on the wall, singing:

"You're goin' down on love / And everybody knows / Ride the high-country wherever you go / If you want to fly, grab hold of the reigns," or rather, "we all know you're planning to go, so just leave."

The pair doubles down on such a sentiment in the biting yet brilliant chorus:

"Get back in the saddle
Ride away on your horse
You're an asshole, I can't stand you
And I want a divorce"

Both artists appear to be in committed relationships – Price to her husband and bandmate Jeremy Ivey and Peck to his partner William Mikelson – so this song seems far from autobiographical. However, the tune falls beautifully into the canon of country divorce songs, an age-old staple in the genre.

Relatable and wounded yet humor-flecked and full of sharp wit, 'You're an Asshole, I Can't Stand You (and I Want a Divorce)' makes for the perfect addition to such a distinction.

"The light is fading
And the day is gone
Nothing much left in this one-light town"

"You borrow your freedom
On the back of the dawn
Your making me look like a rodeo clown"

Throughout the song, Peck and Price make it clear that the relationship is done for. There's nothing left to salvage, so there is no use in pretending anymore. Eventually, they give up the ghost and sing, "Tell me goodbye / Grad hold of the reigns," but not before getting in there last jabs at each other.

The pair spar with spoken word toward the end of the tune, Peck poking fun at her spelling bee win, Price taking aim at the trademark mask the crooner always dons. Eventually, he tells her: "Margo, you sure do take the 'O' out of country," with her retorting, "And you put the 'L' in stupid."

"Get back in the saddle
Ride away on your horse
You're an asshole, I can't stand you
And I want a divorce..."

I woke up this morning
In our king-size bed
Everyday you get further away

The silence is louder
Than what you ain't said
But I hear the words you can't say

You're goin' down on love
And everybody knows
Ride the high-country wherever you go
If you want to fly grab hold of the reigns

Get back in the saddle
Ride away on your horse
You're an asshole, I can't stand you
And I want a divorce

The light is fading
And the day is gone
Nothing much left in this one-light town

You borrow your freedom
On the back of the dawn
Your making me look like a rodeo clown

You're goin' out on me
And everybody knows
You'll come out smelling like a rose
Tell me goodbye
Grad hold of the reigns

Look, I don't care it was forty years ago when you won the high school spelling bee
What are you even talking about?
Not everybody can spell "hippopotamus" and that's at least something you can hang on to
I can't even understand you with that thing on your face
Margo, are you sure do take the "O" out of country
And you put the "L" in stupid

Get back in the saddle
Ride away on your horse
You're an asshole, I can't stand you
And I want a divorce

Get back in the saddle
Ride away on your horse
You're an asshole, I can't stand you
And I want a divorce

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