Maren Morris is pondering life and our time here on earth. The conclusion is the same: We won’t live forever, but it’s what we do with our time that matters. In her new song “Background Music,” Morris makes a promise to love her husband, fellow artist Ryan Hurd, for as long as they both have each other.
“We’ve got time but we’re only human / Call it forever but we know that there’s an end to it / You and I can dance our way through it / And I’ll love you ’til all that we are is background music,” she sings in the chorus.
Throughout the song, Morris reflects on the life she’s lived so far and her legacy. She effortlessly transitions from thinking about life after the lights go out and the final curtain has fallen, to how she and Hurd will be remembered after their time on earth has come to a close.
“Maybe all we’ll ever be to them in 100 years / Is three minutes in a car, in a bar that says we were here,” she speculates in the second verse. “If that’s you and me when it’s all said and done / It’s hard not to see we’re the lucky ones / Not everyone gets to leave a souvenir.”
“Background Music” begs the question, “What legacy are you leaving?” Maybe it’s not music or a film or a book, but rather the impact you leave on others — family, friends, co-workers, strangers. Building that legacy starts now, if you ask Morris.
“Background Music” comes from Morris’ forthcoming album, Humble Quest, which will arrive on March 25. She worked on the project during the pandemic and it has a different sound than her last album, Girl.
“It’s a lot country-er on an instrumental level,” Morris shares with Taste of Country Nights, ”And rootsy-er than my last record which was very pop heavy. It’s a really hopeful record.”
It also feels as if Morris is getting more vulnerable in her music. Like “Background Music,” the album’s lead single, “Circles Around This Town,” details a young Morris’ move to Nashville with stars in her eyes. It’s an anecdotal approach that is sure to be a theme across the project.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!