Released: 2021
Morgan Wallen’s ‘Bandaid On A Bullet Hole’ is a heart-wrenching ballad about the aftermath of a painful breakup. The song’s protagonist struggles to forget his past love and move on, but finds his attempts as futile as trying to heal a gunshot wound with a mere bandaid.
The song opens with the protagonist trying to forget his past relationship. He’s pouring whiskey on the places his ex-lover kissed him, a symbolic act of trying to wash away the pain. However, he admits that nothing is working, and he’s living out the lyrics of countless sad country songs.
The chorus introduces the song’s main metaphor: trying to move on from his ex is like trying to put a bandaid on a bullet hole. It’s an impossible task, as futile as telling a cowboy to slow down or asking a river to reverse its course. He’s tried to move on by being with other people and even telling others he hates his ex, but he keeps hitting a wall, indicating his attempts are unsuccessful.
The second verse continues the theme of heartbreak. If he was just lonely, he could find companionship at a bar. But his ex left a ‘canyon’ in his heart, a gaping void that no one else can fill. The chorus repeats, reinforcing the protagonist’s struggle to move on.
The song ends with the protagonist questioning his ex. He wants to know her secret, how she managed to move on so easily when he’s still stuck in his pain. The chorus repeats once more, emphasizing the futility of his attempts to heal. The song ends on a somber note, with the protagonist admitting that his efforts to move on are ‘no damn good’ at all.
