With Mother’s Day fast approaching, Naomi Johnson is sharing her new song “Mama Ain’t Jesus.” The heartfelt, soaring country ballad, out today Friday, (May 9), follows “Bricks Make Houses,” one of three solo tracks the singer/songwriter has released since parting ways with Runaway June in 2022.
Inspired by her traumatic birth story, “Mama Ain’t Jesus” is a raw and emotional track that captures the unconditional love and special bond between a mother and her child. The introspective tune finds Johnson looking at her life with a deeper lens and a new perspective.
The lyrics to “Mama Ain’t Jesus” play out like a love letter to her daughter as she reflects on her imperfections and rebellious nature, singing “I cuss sometimes” and “I’ve told some lies,” but despite all that, “I pray for you every single night.”
“I love you more than the stars can shine / No, I ain’t perfect all the time / But I’ll be there when you need me / If trouble ever comes your way / I sure as hell won’t hesitate / I keep that loaded .45 for a reason / Mama ain’t Jesus,” Johnson pledges.
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The Raw Truth Behind The Story
Opening up about the meaning behind “Mama Ain’t Jesus,” Johnson told Country Now the song “is really about the duality of a mother” as mothers everywhere don’t have a blueprint on how to raise their children but are willing to go to great lengths to ensure their child’s safety at all costs.
“You see these women, and they kind of look soft and vulnerable and helpless, but then right behind that is someone that will go to war or do anything for their children,” she shared, adding, “I almost lost my life giving birth to [my daughter]…I had this realization after I gave birth to her that a lot of women have died during childbirth. I could’ve been one of those women…. When I realized that, it was like I wanted to write something that meant something, that she could learn who I am as a mom, a wife, a friend, and an artist. This song is me telling her, ‘I’m not perfect.’ She’s going to find that out, but the other side of me is also lethal momma. I will literally kill someone for her. She has made something come alive in me that I didn’t know was there before.”
Johnson On How Motherhood Has Changed Her Songwriting
Johnson co-wrote “Mama Ain’t Jesus” with Brad Clawson and Brandon Day. She co-produced the tune alongside Josh Kelley and Dustin Christensen. The stripped-down acoustic-driven track with soft percussion offers a glimpse into the direction Johnson is going for as she continues to unveil more songs that will be part of a larger project.
“People hear other artists say, having kids changes the way they write music. I didn’t expect it to hit me that hard when I had [my daughter],” Johnson acknowledges. “It changes everything. It changed the music that I started to write. It made me realize that it is important that I’m super honest, raw, and truthful. I don’t sugarcoat things anymore. I tell my story no matter if people are going to relate to it and think it’s too crazy, or not believe me, or whatever. I know it’s important to tell the truth so people can get to know me better and particularly my daughter. If I were to pass away giving birth to her and she went on to Spotify or Apple to hear my music, she wouldn’t have known who I was as an artist, a mother, a friend, or a wife. So that birth experience was the catalyst for me to go, ‘Okay. No more hiding behind anything.’”
Johnson and her husband, Martin Johnson — the frontman of The Night Game and Boys Like Girls — welcomed their first child, a daughter, into the world in 2023. Though the name of their daughter has not been released, Johnson has been open about her labor experience.
A Traumatic Birth Story
On social media, at the time of her delivery in a post that has since been removed, Johnson captioned, “I started with a planned home water birth. Me And 9 of my siblings were born at home, 5 of us in a bathtub, and it was important to me to give my child a similar birth experience. After an unexpected 60 hours of labor, complications arose, and I ended up delivering at the hospital.”
She went on to address the midwives and surgeons, thanking them for helping deliver her “healthy, beautiful baby.”
“Childbirth is an incredible rite of passage for a woman. I’m proud to have made the journey and honored to be holding the ultimate reward,” she wrote.
Biggest Challenges As A Parent
Johnson’s daughter will soon be two years old, meaning the powerhouse songstress has experienced plenty of new challenges as a mother. She says, “I think the biggest surprise for me becoming a parent was, I didn’t realize, it’s so sink or swim.”
“A child shows you your greatest strengths and your weaknesses,” she continued. “My weaknesses have been, you know, I’m a little flaky, late to everything… a little disorganized. But when you have a kid, and you want to be a good parent, you have to button that up. I’ve gotten so much better as a person. I’ve become more professional and timely. You don’t put yourself first anymore. It makes life so much better not having to be the center.”
“I used to be more anxious and worried, more depressed when I was just thinking about myself all the time. That was the biggest surprise. I know I would love this person, but I didn’t expect her to make me improve myself so much.”
Full-Length Album Coming At A Later Date
“Mama Ain’t Jesus” and “Bricks Make Houses,” give fans a first look into a full-length album that Johnson plans to share with fans at a later date. And she says sharing her story with the world through lyrics has been years in the making.
“I’m a little over halfway done with it,” she shared of the forthcoming project, which she says will be ‘autobiographical.’ “Gosh, I’m so excited to get this out into the world. I think there will be 17 songs on it. It’s an autobiographical record with the whole story…. I am Cherokee Indian on my dad’s side and I’ve never put any time of heritage into my music before, and I’m very proud of that. So I’ve done that in this album. It’s been incredible diving into that. It’s been amazing. So those are some hints to the album.”
Mother’s Day Plans
As for Mother’s Day, Johnson says her sole focus is finishing up her album, which is being recorded in Utah. However, she knows her husband, whom she wed in July of 2021, will be on hand to make her day special.
“I’m focused on making this record. It’s taking up a ton of time between that and being a mom…I don’t have any [Mother’s Day plans] right now.”
“My husband always gets me a spa day, that girly stuff I love!” she added. “He’s out of the country right now in Asia. So he’ll be home shortly after Mother’s Day, so we’ll probably do a dinner date and he always gets me a spa day, which is nice. I love a spa!”
The post Naomi Johnson Reveals How The Reality Of Motherhood Led To The Personal Song, ‘Mama Ain’t Jesus’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.
