Ashley Cooke has been writing her own songs since she was 11 years old and to this day, it’s rare for her to cut a song that she didn’t have a hand in writing. But as soon as she heard the clever story behind “the f word,” Cooke knew she had to record it despite her name not being in the credits.
“I’ve always loved writing songs, but I always also have had the mentality of, I live in a town where it’s the best songwriters in the world, in this little vicinity of Nashville. So who am I to say that ‘I didn’t write that, so I can’t cut it,’” Cooke told Country Now during Live In The Vineyard Goes Country.
Hearing The Story For The First Time
The song was texted to the Big Loud songstress by one of her “greatest friends,” Emily Weisband, who was also the song’s co-writer alongside Dallas Wilson, Lori McKenna and Gordie Sampson. She had already been listening through a few other outside songs, but this one instantly “stopped me in my tracks.”
It spoke to her in a way unlike any other songs because of the clever way the title makes it seem as though it’s going to be about the explicit four-letter word when in reality, it’s a beautiful love song about another kind of F word – forever.
“Obviously when you hear a song called ‘the F word,’ you think it’s going to be about the F word, right? But no, the word is ‘forever,’ and it’s a hopeless, romantic love song that kind of is about the moment that you fall too fast and say the things that you maybe shouldn’t say a little too soon. And I loved it so much.’”
Best Song Wins Mentality
She emphasized once again that in this case, letting the best song win truly worked in her favor. Rather than focusing on who wrote it, she cared more about how it fit into her storytelling and the impact it could have on her listeners.
“For me it’s less so about if I did or didn’t write it, and more so just would I be proud to play this for people at my shows and what I think that it would move them the way that it moves me. And that song really, really hit me when I heard it for the first time,” she explained. “So I was like, ‘I have to cut this song.’”
It has since become one of her favorite parts of her shows to play “the f word live” for people who haven’t heard it and see the look on their faces once they realize what she’s really talking about.
“It’s an attention-grabbing song. And I love it. And I’m really happy they let me cut it. And I’m very proud of that song,” she added.
The True Meaning Behind ‘The F Word’
At the beginning of the slow-tempo tune, the lyrics continue with the rouse, letting listeners think that the curse word is still the center of the story as Cooke sings, “I try not to swear It’s not lady-like/ But I swear that I love you/ I made up my mind.”
She even goes as far as to say, “I should wash my mouth out with soap,” indicating that she’s fully leaning into the play on words before revealing the truth. Throughout the chorus, Cooke’s silky vocals wash over the delicate instrumentals as she details the moment she fears she may have declared her love for her partner a bit too soon in front of his family members.
“‘Cause I said the F word in front of your momma/ The first time I met her, not tryna’ start drama/ Just kinda slipped out, like what the hell did I just do/ I said I’d probably spend forever with you,” she sings, finally uncovering the true meaning behind “the f word.”
Receiving Support From Kelsea ballerini
Fans aren’t the only ones who have gotten attached to this tune. Surrounding the time of its release, Cooke reshared a comment from fellow country star Kelsea Ballerini who wrote, “I love this song so much it hurts.” In the conversation with Country Now, Cooke reflected on how much it meant to her to have that support from another female artist in the country music realm.
“It’s huge. I think the one thing about this era of country music is that the females are here to support each other. I think there was a time when that wasn’t the case, and I think we all just wanted to learn from the mistakes of the past in that sense. And people like Kelsea, like Carly [Pearce], they are just so supportive,” she admitted.
“I mean, Kelsea commenting on my video, it’s so cool and it’s really cool to know that they want to…pay it back, I guess, is the way to say it, because they’ve been poured into so much with their fan base and working their butts off for where they’re at. So it’s cool to get to be a part of that.”
The Power Of Female Friendships
The ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee stressed just how important it is to maintain those kinds of relationships, especially being in the business she’s in that involves her live being “under a microscope,” as she explained.
“I mean, Carly had a Christmas cocktail girl situation and we went, me and Kelsea and Carly talked for a long time, and they give advice and they give you their number…They just want to be there for you because they get it. And this is an industry where sometimes you don’t feel understood because you feel like you’re under a microscope a lot and they get it. We get it. So it’s important to have that community and to not feel like we’re competing,” she shared.
“We all can make our own music and have our own take on it, and it doesn’t have to be compared to one another. So it’s cool that we all agree on that. And Kelsea, she’s one of the most amazing supportive people that I’ve gotten to know throughout the years.”
When speaking about her latest release, Ashley Cooke also hinted that it serves as “the best way” to start introducing listeners to her second album. She first teased the track to a crowd of 20,000 fans during her performance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena while opening for Kane Brown. She also performed the song to a room full of industry members at the Country Radio Seminar (CRS).
Fans will continue to hear “the f word” live during her upcoming arena shows with Kane Brown. Additionally, she has a slew of her own headlining shows, plus festival sets throughout the year and an appearance at the ACM Awards in Texas on May 8.
The post Ashley Cooke On The Song That Stopped Her In Her Tracks, ‘The F Word’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.
