If country music is about anything, it's about storytelling. And sometimes, those stories are very sad. For example, it's hard to listen to Miranda Lambert's melancholy tune, "The House That Built Me," without having a tear or two run down your cheek. She teamed up on October 5 with Riley Green for a poignant rendition of "I Wish Grandpas Never Died, which she posted on Instagram, per Whiskey Riff."
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Occasion That Brought Miranda Lambert And Riley Green Together
It Was A Benefit Concert For Lambert's MuttNation Foundation
Lambert launched MuttNation with her mom back in 2009. It's a 501c3 nonprofit that has provided more than $100,000 in much-needed relief after Hurricane Helene. A few days ago, Lambert held the first Music For Mutts benefit concert for the Foundation.
Riley Green Was Not Anticipated To Be There
She sang with Lukas Nelson and Jake Worthington, and of course, with Riley Green. He wasn't expected to be joining in, but his appearance at the Field & Stream fest in South Carolina was called off because of all the destruction and upheaval caused by Hurricane Helene.
The Story Behind The Song That Miranda Lambert And Riley Green Performed
Green Penned The Tune Following The Deaths Of His Grandfathers
The achingly direct and heartfelt lyrics of the song describe all the things the narrator yearns for that will never happen:
"...I wish everybody knew all the words to Mama Tried
I wish Monday mornings felt just like Friday nights
And I wish even cars had truck beds
And every road was named Copperhead
And coolers never ran out of cold Bud Light
And I wish high school home teams never lost
And back road drinking kids never got caught
I wish the price of gas was low and cotton was high
I wish honkytonks didn't have no closing time
And I wish grandpas never died...."
A song like this resonates emotionally with anyone who has experienced the loss of someone they love, the passing of a beloved pet, or bereavement of any other kind. Per the outlet, "Both Riley's Grandaddy Buford and Grandaddy Lyndon are listed as co-writers along with Riley, and the song has since been certified Platinum."
There Was Another Special Moment During The Concert
Miranda Lambert And Lukas Nelson Honored The Late Kris Kristofferson
They performed "Silver Wings," a Merle Haggard song that Kristofferson liked. He died in late September at age 88.
