Released: 2023
‘In The Bible’ by Morgan Wallen featuring HARDY is a country song that uses religious metaphors to express the singer’s deep connection to his rural, country lifestyle. The song suggests that if ‘being country’ was a part of religious scripture, the singer would be a devoted disciple.
The opening lines paint a vivid picture of country life. ‘Paint your truck tread with some red dust’ and ‘Share some bootleg with your best buds’ are all about the simple pleasures of rural living. ‘Red dust’ refers to the dirt roads often found in the countryside, while ‘bootleg’ is a term for homemade or illegally distributed alcohol, hinting at the camaraderie and shared experiences in the country.
‘Back roads and cold beer are my down-home prayer’ – here, Wallen equates the simple joys of country life, like driving on back roads and drinking cold beer, to prayer. He’s saying that these experiences bring him closer to God, just as prayer does for many.
‘If John Deere Green was 3:16’ – this line is a clever play on words. John Deere is a popular brand of farming equipment, known for its distinctive green color. ‘3:16’ is a reference to the Bible verse John 3:16, one of the most well-known verses in the Christian faith. Wallen is suggesting that if elements of country life, like a John Deere tractor, were part of the Bible, he’d be more devout.
‘And old barstools were back pew seats’ – here, Wallen is comparing barstools to the back pews in a church. He’s suggesting that the camaraderie and community found in a country bar is similar to the fellowship found in a church congregation.
‘If them words in red were a little more read, this sinner’d be a saint instead’ – in many Bibles, the words spoken by Jesus are printed in red. Wallen is saying that if he paid more attention to these teachings, he might be a better person. But he finds his own form of spirituality in his country lifestyle.
In the chorus, Wallen repeats the idea that his country lifestyle is his own form of worship, saying ‘Lord knows I’d be one hell of a disciple / If being country was in the Bible’. He’s acknowledging that he might not fit the traditional mold of a religious disciple, but in his own way, he’s deeply devoted to his way of life.
The song ends on a note of gratitude, with Wallen singing ‘Heaven blessed this life I live / Hallelujah, amen, amen’. He’s expressing appreciation for his country lifestyle, seeing it as a blessing from above.
