The Real Meaning Behind 'The Bones' By Maren Morris

When Maren Morris released her song, "The Bones" in 2019, she had no clue how much of a hit it would come to be. The country star has risen to fame over the years with songs like "My Church" and "80s Mercedes," but she's only getting better and better with time. 

Though Morris has plenty of hits under her belt, many fans agree that "The Bones" is her most meaningful and mature of them all. The singer even landed a Grammy nomination for the song at the 2021 awards show, and though she didn't take home the award, she still delivered a powerful and memorable performance. Morris and the song are up for more awards at the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards, and she's also slated to perform at the ceremony, so it's safe to assume that fans might get another live performance of the hit song. 

Because it's so catchy, it's easy to gloss over any deeper meaning that "The Bones" may have. As it turns out, the song tells a powerful story about relationships, and it's one that Morris never expected to reach such popularity. Keep reading to learn more about Morris' hit song and learn why it has such deep significance for the singer.

In her hit song "The Bones," Maren Morris uses the metaphor of a house to relay a strong relationship. In the chorus, she sings "When the bones are good, the rest don't matter / Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter / Let it rain 'cause you and I remain the same."

Morris describes a house that begins falling apart on the outside — the paint peels, the glass shatters, but the foundation remains strong. She uses this as a comparison to a relationship, saying that if the foundation remains strong, so can the couple. She reinforces this notion with the final lines in the chorus: "Baby, I know any storm we're facing / Will blow right over while we stay put / The house don't fall when the bones are good."

When Morris released "The Bones," she admitted that she never thought it would be a single. "The fans have spoken on this one," she said of the song's popularity to Billboard. She also describes it as "a real, gritty love song." And, as it turns out, Morris is thrilled that fans have taken to the song so strongly. "I couldn't be more proud that it's become one of the biggest songs of my career to date."