There’s not a voice quite like Miranda Lambert’s. She has a way of weaving a tale, in a sometimes sweet and sometimes smoky style that’s truly unique to Miranda.
Fans have their favorite titles, but one iconic track earned Lambert her first No. 1 song. That song also earned her multiple CMA and ACM Awards, along with a Grammy for best female country vocal performance.
What fans may not know is her iconic song had also been originally pitched to Blake Shelton. There are so many amazing songs that may come to mind, including “Kerosene” and “Gunpowder & Lead.” So, which song was it?
Miranda Lambert’s hit song almost didn’t happen
Songwriters often pen artful and engaging lyrics, only to then pitch them to producers and artists for performance. For Miranda Lambert’s chart-topping song in question, the journey from the writer’s desk to the recording studio was a long one. I
t was originally written by Allen Shamblin in 2002. The ballad had been given to a publisher, where it languished on a shelf for almost seven years. Shamblin and Tom Douglas, a fellow writer, revisited their song with new inspiration.
Together they found the iconic line that pulled it all together.
Miranda Lambert’s first No. 1 hit
In March of 2010, Lambert released “The House That Built Me.” Now, as a masterpiece about a connection to a childhood home, it had made its way from the writers’ inspiration to the top of the charts.
Some consider it Miranda’s most iconic song of all time.
What the song is all about
Allen Shamblin mentioned having been originally inspired by the idea of houses building the families who occupy them. Going against the grain of people building houses, but rather, how those houses hold memories and sentiments that ultimate define and build people. It wasn’t until years later, upon revisiting his original idea, that he and collaborator Tom Douglas developed the most memorable line.
“If I could just come in”
“I swear I’ll leave”
“Won’t take nothing but a memory”
Upon creating the hook, they both agreed it was perfected and ready for a recording artist.
Blake Shelton heard it first
The writers had begun to send out demos of their song, “The House That Built Me,” to prominent voices for consideration. One of those singers just happened to be Blake Shelton.
He was reviewing a pile of demos when he came upon the work by Shamblin and Douglas. So why did Blake pass on it?
Miranda Lambert was inspired and moved to tears
It’s not so much that Blake passed on performing the song himself. He was listening to it for the first time in his car, as he drove with his then-girlfriend, Miranda Lambert. When the song ended, Miranda had been moved to tears by the lyrics.
Shelton encouraged her to record it herself. She did just that and in doing so, created one of her most pivotal career tracks of all time.
What Miranda Lambert is doing now
There’s no question Miranda’s a star and not shy about exploring her emotions and personal journey. As a professional, she’s paved her way with nine Academy of Country Music Awards, along with five Albums of the Year, too. More recently, she’s launched her Wildcard Tour, promoting one the most “anticipated albums of Fall 2019” by Billboard. She’ll be performing throughout Canada and the U.S. over 27 dates.
Recording artists often share their personal and professional journeys with their fans. What fans may not realize, is that songs can take their own paths as well. In this case, a writer inspired song, that landed in one star’s lap, ended up being Miranda Lambert’s most iconic songs.
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