Released: 2024
Zach Bryan’s ‘Bathwater’ is a raw, introspective country song that delves into the artist’s struggle with personal identity, the pains of change, and the impact of societal expectations. It’s a heartfelt narrative that echoes the classic country themes of loss, longing, and self-discovery.
Let’s start with the opening lines, ‘Coffee cold this mornin’ / You’re gettin’ rid of me / Got drunk, fell asleep and woke up / In Eastern Tennessee.’ Here, Bryan paints a picture of a morning after, a symbol of change and displacement. The cold coffee signifies a sense of neglect or abandonment, while waking up in Eastern Tennessee suggests a disoriented state, both physically and emotionally.
‘Woke up on the wrong side / Of a lifelong fight between / Who I was, who I am, which one’s right?’ These lines delve into the heart of Bryan’s internal conflict. He’s grappling with his past self, his present self, and the struggle to determine which one is the ‘right’ version of him.
‘Baby’s out with the bathwater / He ain’t got no chance.’ This phrase is a play on the old saying ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,’ meaning don’t discard something valuable while getting rid of the unnecessary. Bryan uses it to express feelings of hopelessness and rejection.
‘Oklahoma knows the old ya / So boy get up and dance.’ Here, Bryan is being urged to conform to his old self, the one familiar to his home state of Oklahoma. It’s a commentary on societal pressure to remain consistent, even when personal growth demands change.
‘These songs used to free me / Now there’s nothing free in this / Just 808 beats, what we used to be and back-door politics.’ Bryan laments the commercialization of music, suggesting that the freedom once found in his songs has been replaced by the constraints of mainstream music production and industry politics.
‘Now everyone I know is an outlaw / Country to their core / But the only outlaw I’ve known / Served in the Corps.’ Bryan is contrasting the romanticized image of the ‘outlaw’ in country music with the reality of his own experience, pointing out that the true ‘outlaw’ he knows is a military veteran.
‘And I ain’t heard, ‘Shake the Frost’ in a couple years or more.’ ‘Shake the Frost’ is likely a reference to a previous song or a personal experience. It’s a nostalgic note, suggesting a longing for the past and a sense of loss over time passing.
