Miranda Lambert says one fan’s story about “Gunpowder & Lead” left her in tears.
On the “And the Writer Is…” podcast, Lambert talked about the 2007 song, which follows a woman confronting an abusive partner after his release from jail. The track appeared on her album “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and was co-written with Heather Little.
Lambert said the song has become a major part of her catalog, in part because of the stories women have shared with her over the years. Some have told her it helped save their lives. At meet-and-greets, she said, she has heard some remarkable things.
One woman in Indianapolis came up to Lambert and said she didn’t want a photo. She wanted to tell her that the song had given her the courage to act against an abusive partner, Lambert recalled.
“She was dead serious,” Lambert said. “And then we cried together.”
The encounter hit Lambert hard. The woman was only the third person in line, with about 85 fans still waiting, but Lambert said she needed a moment to breathe, hug her and take in what she’d heard.
It also changed how Lambert thought about performing the song. She said she understood then that it wasn’t simply a character she played onstage or in the studio. The song dealt with a serious subject, and it was having a real effect on people’s lives.
Lambert has previously said her childhood helped shape the song. Her parents sometimes opened their home to women and children escaping abuse, she said, giving her a firsthand look at the impact it can have on a family.
She added that she wrote the song with someone who had experienced abuse herself. Lambert said she hopes her music can raise awareness without sounding preachy, and that hearing a song helped someone survive is more meaningful to her than awards or record sales.
