Martina McBride Waking Up Laughing

A Song by Song Breakdown of Her New Album

Martina McBride's WAKING UP LAUGHING album cover. Photo courtesy of RCA Records Nashville.

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MARTINA McBRIDE...WAKING UP LAUGHING

If I Had Your Name
(Hillary Lindsey/Steve McEwan/Gordon Sampson)
It’s no wonder Martina calls this "One of the most clever kiss-off songs I’ve ever heard." The fiddle-laced rocker is full of spunk, thanks to such sassy lyrics as "You’re like a new key made with the wrong cut/Stuck tryin’ to break into my home/You’re like a bottle sent with a message/But you’re sinkin’ like a stone/If I had your name/I’d be changin’ it by now." Martina says, "I like to take rocking, edgy songs that are more electric guitar-driven and add acoustic traditional instruments like mandolin and fiddle played with attitude and energy so that it all fits together. This song has such a unique feel and I think the juxtaposition of the rockin’ guitars with the mandolin and fiddle, make it really interesting musically."

Cry Cry (’Til The Sun Shines)
(Marv Green/Chris Lindsey/Hillary Lindsey/Aimee Mayo)
This melodic song is infused with hope. While assuring us "it’s gonna be alright," it tells three different stories about overcoming obstacles and pushing through to the other side of heartache. While fresh and new, "Cry Cry" is reminiscent of classic Martina songs such as "My Baby Loves Me" and "Wild Angels". The open, guitar-driven arrangement makes you want to get in your car and drive fast with the sun shining and all the windows down.

Tryin’ to Find a Reason
(Tommy Lee James/Jeremy Stover)
This exquisitely wistful ballad—a goodbye song that makes your heart ache with sadness and regret—features the soulful guitar and lush harmony vocals of Keith Urban. According to Martina, "I’m not one to put another artist on my record unless a song makes me think of a specific artist ? and when I heard this song, I immediately thought, ‘Keith Urban has to sing on this with me."

For These Times
(Leslie Satcher)
When Martina heard this Leslie Satcher tune toward the end of recording, she knew her album was complete: "I’d been looking for a song that talks about these times we live in, and addresses issues that really bother me. I wanted lyrics that express how I truly feel, and these are perfect." Indeed, the song grows with the passion it conveys, so much so that Martina says she had trouble singing louder than the band was playing, but all that energy pays off with a dynamic and uplifting track full of honesty and conviction.

Anyway
(Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren)
The debut single, one of three songs on the album co-written by Martina, is a classic power anthem with a soaring melody featuring a string arrangement by David Campbell. Ultimately, it’s a song with a message of hope and strength—as the lyrics from the chorus attest: "God is great, but sometimes life ain't good/When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should/But I do it anyway/I do it anyway."

How I Feel
(Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren/Chris Lindsey/Aimee Mayo
In this modern and melodic song, also a Martina co-write, she sings about many of the things that bring joy—confetti, snow, the first day of fall, standing up for what you believe—and compares them with the feelings you have for the one you love. It has a Beatlesque vibe that carries the listener on a musical journey.

I’ll Still Be Me
(Tammy Hyler/Rachel Thibodeau)
This beautiful ballad about a mature, reassuring love was actually written about Martina and her husband, John, though the writers didn’t want to reveal that fact until they knew Martina liked the song and wanted to cut it. It unfolds like a love letter of times past and present and is a testament to those who’ve found their soul mate in life.

Beautiful Again
(Martina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren/Nick Trevisick)
This song provokes a strong, emotional reaction thanks to some disturbing lyrics cleverly juxtaposed with joyful music. Though the song tackles such difficult topics as abuse and neglect —subjects that would be taboo for most singers—Martina has consistently proven that she can use her music as a platform for what she believes, reaching out to those who need compassion, understanding and, above all, hope.

Everybody Does
(Mike Mobley/Rachel Proctor/Dan Demay)
Proclaimed by Martina as "one of the catchiest, hookiest songs in 3 minutes 27 seconds that I’ve ever heard," the mid-tempo rocker is an ode to the trials and tribulations of love. This everyman song features "every hook you could imagine, lyrically and melodically," and reassures the brokenhearted that they are not alone.

House of a Thousand Dreams
(Billy Montana/Jenai/Ilya Toshinsky)
With a song she says takes her on a journey every time she hears it, Martina offers an ode to a struggling, middle-class family dreaming of a better life. The lyrics are unique in that they are presented from three different points of view: the father, mother, and young son.

Love Land
(Tom Douglas/Rachel Thibodeau)
This is the first song Martina found for the album, and she says she is still completely knocked out by it. "Every time I hear this song, something new happens. It is one of those songs that is really special to me in a way that’s hard to describe." Beautifully rendered, it tells a moving story of a quickie wedding due to an unplanned pregnancy, resulting in a union that, despite heartache and tragedy, has a life-affirming outcome. "I think music and songs have the ability to heal, and I think this song will do just that for many people."