Beyoncé’s ‘Daddy Lessons’: Her Americana Moment?
Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons” starts in New Orleans but quickly jets to her hometown of Houston, making for what some are calling her first country song.
The track, from the music icon’s surprise Lemonade album released over the weekend, begins with a brass horn section plucked straight off the streets of the Big Easy. But the jazzy intro gives way to a big “yee haw,” followed by chants of “Texas, Texas, oh oh oh Texas” — and lyrics that sound plucked from Miranda Lambert’s or Loretta Lynn’s catalog, accompanied by a soft guitar.
“He held me in his arms/And he taught me to be strong/He told me when he’s gone/Here’s what you do/When trouble comes to town/And men like me come around/Oh, my daddy said shoot/Oh, my daddy said shoot,” Beyoncé sings in the empowering, yet dark song — which arguably leans more Americana than country, given its sonic melting pot.
The gun toting tune, which even notes the Second Amendment, is all about going to whatever lengths necessary to protect yourself and your family from bad guys. It’s speculated to be autobiographical, given the superstar’s complex relationship with her father. “Daddy Lessons” is the only track on Lemonade that Beyoncé produced solo. She co-wrote the song with Wynter Gordon, Kevin Cossom and Alex Delicata.