Maddie & Tae show more of their sass in new single “Shut Up and Fish”
With the release of “Girl In a Country Song,” Maddie & Tae made a bit of a name for themselves
as the new Girl-Power duo who’s not afraid to stand up and call out what has seemed to become the “norm” regarding how women are portrayed in today’s country music (a trend that some believe to be a result of Bro-Country). And their “We aren’t just eye candy - We deserve respect!” approach continues on with their new single “Shut Up and Fish.” However this time instead of tackling the depiction of women in songs, Maddie & Tae take on a more general annoyance for females – the over-eager male.
“Shut Up and Fish,” which was co-written by Dye, Marlow, Aaron Scherz and Pete Sallis, starts with the over-confident boy showing up in “salmon shorts and a white V-neck,” an outfit more appropriate for a yacht date than a fishing outing (he was a city boy after all). And while he continuously tries to, quite unsuccessfully, make advances, the girl makes it very clear that the only thing she’s interested in doing is fishing:
Oh I was fishing, he was wishing
We were kissing I was getting
Madder than a hornet in an old coke can
Getting closer, sliding over
Crowding up my casting shoulder
Trying to reach out and hold my reeling hand
Saying I’m pretty, saying he’s in love
And how it don’t get any better than this
I say Yeah It could
Boy if you would
Shut up and fish
While the song is cleverly written, very catchy and fun, it still makes a statement. On the surface it’s easy for many to relate to the actions within the song – from young adult females to those grown and looking back on the awkward memories. And guys can also relate – as they might have once been on the same receiving end as the unfortunate date in this song.
But if you dig a bit deeper, the lyrics can also echo Maddie & Tae’s place in country music, as well as other female artists especially in light of the recent Keith Hill remarks. It’s as if they are saying - you may think we are just pretty and will swoon at the male-centric ways of the industry, but we’re not. We’re songwriters. We’re the real deal. And we’ll brush you off (literally in the song) and do what we want to do the way WE want to do it. And do it successfully.
“Shut Up and Fish,” the third single from Maddie & Tae’s debut album Start Here, will hit country radio on November 2 and is currently available on all outlets.
