Released September 30, 2003
Produced by Martina McBride and Paul Worley
Album photography by Andrew Eccles
1. So Magical
2. She's A Butterfly
3. City Of Love
4. This One's For The Girls
5. How Far
6. Reluctant Daughter
7. Wearing White
8. When You Love Me
9. In My Daughter's Eyes
10. Learning To Fall
11. God's Will
12. Over The Rainbow (Live)
Bonus Track (Available at Wal-Mart Only): Show Me
The Album
“It wasn’t intentional, but this album is probably more of a woman’s album than anything else I’ve done before. There’s a theme that runs through it of things that women deal with and feel. I didn’t realize that until I got finished and started listening to the album as a whole. The songs are introspective. Hopefully, that won’t exclude the men because the men I’ve played it for like it too, which makes sense considering they are the ones that are on the receiving end of all the adoration on the album!
John (McBride) and I bought a studio last year, so we were able to create our own environment. It’s just a couple of minutes from the house so I could go there and record any time I felt like it. I wasn’t on anyone else’s schedule and didn’t feel like I was restricted by time. The atmosphere of the place is really warm and just has a great feel to it. You feel like you can spend a lot of time there, not like you have to leave at a certain time because the studio manager has to lock up and you’re keeping him late!
Because of that, I was able to sing these songs a lot. Sometimes I’ll sing a song and go out on the road and sing it for six months and think, ‘I wish I could re-record this,’ because it becomes a part of you. That’s hard to make happen with the limited time in the studio. This time I was able to just sing these songs over and over until I felt like they really got to that point of feeling soulful and natural.
It's our first studio album in four years, so we had a lot of time to find songs. I'm so proud of the collection of songs on this album. It's nothing real radically different. It's just kind of more Martina music and more of the very best songs I could find. There's a little bit of everything. I'm so proud of the fact that we have a cut on there that Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White sang on and played on. Vince Gill came in and sang on one. There's kind of a little bit of everything. If you look back at the other albums I've put out you can kind of find a mirror for every song that's on this one.
I really just tried to make a record full of great songs, which is the goal I always have. From a production standpoint, I really wanted it to be warm and to sound more like an old vinyl record as opposed to really clean, pristine and digital.” Martina McBride
“This is the best album by far (in my opinion) that Martina has ever done and the songs she selected are incredible. She really put her heart and soul into this album and I have never seen her work so diligently for so long to make it what it is today. My respect for her as an artist has been raised to the highest level yet - what she does is mind-boggling to me. We are excited to start playing new music in concert - I just cannot say enough about how powerful some of this new music is.” John McBride
Written by Angelo, Brett
James and Hillary Lindsey
I was walking down the street
In my blue jeans and my bare feet
I saw old Mrs. Mayo in her garden so high
She got her prize azaleas
And her big ole fat tomatoes
She invited me in to have a piece of her pie
And later on I thought I'd head on down
By the Caley River to the old rope swing
There was a bunch of kids laughin' and jumpin' in
I sat down on the grass and I just watched them play
And all my worries seemed to wash away
[Chorus:]
Oh it's a magical thing
When the sun is shinging down on me
And this is such a beautiful place
Don't wanna miss a minute of today it's
So magical
Tonight I'll go home and write myself a letter
Tell myself to live a little freer and love a little better
Gonna soak it in like there's no tomorrow
And drink up every second like a big ole glass of water
[Chorus]
Oh I feel like I could fly
When I see the world through these eyes
[Chorus]
“To me, it’s just about recognizing the gift of this day and being grateful for getting to live it. That is a sentiment that a lot of people feel - especially after 9-11. I feel it now more than before. There’s a line in the second verse, ‘Tonight I’ll go home and write myself a letter/Tell myself to live a little freer, love a little better.’ I love that line and I always kept it as a reminder in the back of my mind that I need to do that. Musically it feels fun and joyful. We put mandolin, fiddle, accordion and penny whistle on it. It has a bit of a Celtic feel.” Martina McBride
The Kali River mentioned in “So Magical” is named after one of the writer’s daughter’s name, although there is a Kali river in Nepal.
Written by Kenny Alphin and John Rich
Background Vocals: John
Rich and Kenny Alphin
She remembers when she first got her wings
And how she opened up that day
she learned to sing
Then the colors came, erased the
black and white
And her whole world changed
when she realized
[Chorus:]
She's a butterfly, pretty as the crimson sky
Nothing's ever gonna bring her down
And everywhere she goes
Everybody knows she's so glad to be alive
She's a butterfly
Like the purest light in a darkened world
So much hope inside such a lovely girl
You should see her fly, it's almost magical
It makes you wanna cry, she's so beautiful
[Chorus]
God bless the butterfly,
give her the strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground
God bless the butterfly,
give her strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground
[Chorus]
God bless the butterfly,
give her the strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground
God bless the butterfly,
give her the strenght to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground
It has a free feeling. Jonathan Yudkin came up with this great fiddle part that kind of weaves throughout the song. We had the idea of putting a full orchestra on to enhance that. I think this a good example of a song that really fits the lyric musically. All the musicians are playing like they understand what the song is about and they are expressing that. It almost has a visual quality to the music. It takes you on a musical journey.” Martina McBride
"She's a Butterfly" was inspired by teenaged cancer patient Katie Darnell. John Rich and Big Kenny sang for Darnell and then she sang to them. She sung a tune she wrote called, "Rescue Me." Rich and Kenny were then moved to write "She's a Butterfly" about Darnell.
City Of Love
Written by Troy Lancaster and Tommy Polk
This is no
Yellow brick road
We've been travelin' on
A river of tears
Washed us here
We're right where we belong
We rode it out
No we didn't drown
And look at what we've found
[Chorus:]
Every street we take
Is paved with truth
If a mountain's in our way
That's a mountain we move
Baby there ain't nothin' we can't do
Since me and you
Built a city of love
Through shiftin' sands
With our own hands
We dug to solid ground
Where we found out
What love's about
Yeah there's no stoppin' us now
Yeah on our own stone by stone
We built a fortress strong where
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
“I really identify with this song. I feel like I can sing that song about John and me. We’ve built this relationship, this partnership, which is unshakable. I love the line, ‘Every street we take is paved with truth,’ because I really believe that and it’s important in our relationship to have that honesty. It’s a powerful song and a testament to true love and partnership with another person. Musically it’s powerful as well. It has lots of guitars and it just soars. It’s a good song to put in the car and just drive.” Martina McBride
Written by Chris Lindsey, Hillary Lindsey and Aimee Mayo
Background Vocals: Aimee
Mayo, Hillary Lindsey, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Faith Hill, Delaney
McBride and Emma McBride
This is for all you girls about thirteen
High school can be so rough, can be so mean
Hold onto, onto your innocence
Stand your ground when everybody's giving in
This one's for the girls
This is for all you girls about twenty-five
In little apartments just trying to get by
Living on, on dreams and Spaghetti-Os
Wondering where your life is gonna go
[Chorus:]
This one's for the girls
Who've ever had a broken heart
Who've wished upon a shooting star
You're beautiful the way you are
This one's for the girls
Who love without holding back
Who dream with everything they have
All around the world
This one's for the girls
This is for all you girls about forty-two
Tossing pennies into the fountain of youth
Every laugh, laugh line on your face
Made you who you are today
[Chorus]
Yeah we're all the same inside
From one to ninety-nine
[Chorus]
“It’s fun to listen to and it also has a great lyric. I love, love being able to sing, ‘You’re beautiful the way you are.’ Every time that line comes in the song I feel so good singing it to all the girls and women out there. It’s something we need to hear more often, especially with all of the media images telling you you’ve got to get Botox, have a fake tan, have a flat stomach, do it all, be popular, be driven, blah, blah, blah. For young girls there’s peer pressure. For adults there are all of those negative things you struggle with. It’s great to hear, ‘You’re beautiful the way you are, be yourself. You’re OK. As a matter of fact, you’re better than OK!’ Of course, being a mother I love the verse about standing your ground and not giving in. That is something I preach to my girls all the time.
It's one of those rare things: an up-tempo song with a real meaty lyric. It basically addresses every state of girlhood and womanhood. It's sort of an empowering little number. Hard to believe, coming from me, I know. It's really inspiring to me and it's fun.
"The song proclaims, ‘Yeah we’re all the same inside/from one to ninety-nine.’ That’s such an important lyric to me. Every night that I sing it live, I want people to feel that. I’m really no different. I just have a great job, and I get to wear cool clothes, and I was given a gift. That’s all it is, a gift, and we all have gifts. When it comes down to it, we are all just trying to do our thing, trying to make the world a better place in our way.
Well, I wanted to have kind of an all-girl chorus singing the answer part on the chorus but of course I waited till the very last minute. So I frantically made some phone calls, 'Will you come sing on my song?' And Faith was in town, she came in and sang and Carolyn Dawn Johnson came in. And then (my daughters) Delaney and Emma, they were just hanging out in the studio and I thought it would be fun to put them on there and they had a great time doing it," says Martina. And it turns out they may be the first session singers to ever do their part dressed in pajamas! I had taken them home and we had dinner at home and they'd had their baths and so they were in their pajamas and just seeing them in the vocal booth with the head phones on and their pajamas on and they were giving it everything they had, it was great!" Martina McBride
Written by Jamie O’Neal, Shaye
Smith and Ed Hill
There's a boat, I could sail away
There's the sky, I could catch a plane
There's a train, there's the tracks
I could leave and I could choose to not come back
Oh never come back
There you are, giving up the fight
Here I am begging you to try
Talk to me, let me in
But you just put your wall back up again
Oh when's it gonna end
[Chorus:]
How far do I have to go to make you understand
I wanna make this work so much it hurts, but I just can't
Keep on giving, go on living with the way things are
So I'm gonna walk away
And it's up to you to say how far
There's a chance I could change my mind
But I won't, not till you decide
What you want, what you need
Do you even care if I stay or leave
Oh, what's it gonna be
[Chorus]
Out of this chair, or just across the room
Halfway down the block or halfway to the moon
How far do I have to go to make you understand
I wanna make this work so much it hurts, but I just can't
Keep on giving, go on living with the way things are
So I'm gonna walk away
And it's up to you to say
YeahI'm gonna walk away
And it's up to you to say how far
Written by Sally Barris and Jon Vezner
Background Vocals: Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White
Jesus, tell my Father
I want to be His child again
Tell Him what my name is
In case He's forgotten
Tell Him I'm the woman
At the well
Drawing water
And I'm sorry if I've been His
Reluctant daughter
Jesus, tell my angels
To keep me in their prayers
Remind them I need
To feel them everywhere
Tell 'em I'm ready to drink
Living water
I don't want my angels to think
I'm His
Reluctant daughter
Jesus, tell my Father
I want to come to heaven
Tell Him to shout my name out
So I won't be forgotten
“You just never know, ‘Reluctant Daughter’ (being on the album, ‘Martina’) was a complete surprise. It’s ironic - the songs that are very personal to me, that I write for myself, tend to be the ones that get most of the attention. If I’m trying to write a country song (to fit someone else), that just doesn’t seem to work.” Sally Barris
“I feel this is a place lots of people have been or go to occasionally. It’s definitely something I relate to – the constant push and pull of your faith. It has an old-time gospel feel which I was raised on. I just think it’s a sweet song.
I had always wanted to work with Ricky Skaggs, but I wanted
to wait for the right song. I called him and he put the band
together and the arrangements and we recorded it in his
studio. I love acoustic music and hearing these musicians
play was just a joy. I wanted Sharon White and Ricky to sing
on it. I’m really proud of this piece of music.” Martina
McBride
Written by Lisa Drew and Tommy Lee James
Background Vocals: Vince Gill
Phones were ringing, tongues were wagging
Hot gossip was flying
All around town
She heard the talk, the lowdown was
The shameless color of
Her wedding gown
It's white
I mean really who's she trying to kid
Everybody knows the things she did
It just isn't right
Won't that be a sight
To see her wearing white
She was wild, a wayward child
To put it mildly
She made her life a mess
But she was young, the past is done
Now she's in love
And putting on a new dress
It's white
And it's nobody's business what she wears
Anyway the truth is she don't care
Baby it's her life
She'll do what she likes
And she likes wearing white
He's all nerves when he sees her
As far as he's concerned
She's an angel
In white
He just can't believe that she is his
What a crazy miracle this is
Who she was he don't mind
'Cause on their wedding night
She'll be wearing white
She'll be wearing white
She'll be wearing white
“I love this because I’m from a small town, so I know these people!
Everybody knows everybody’s business and talks about it with each
other. This girl has a colorful past, but she’s made peace with
herself. I love her spirit. She’s strong and she’s going to wear
what she wants to wear no matter what anyone thinks. And, she’s
found a guy who doesn’t care about her past. He sees her as brand
new and they are starting over together. It doesn’t matter what has
happened or what anyone else thinks because they are starting a new
life. White is a symbol for purity and that’s the way he feels about
her. She’s pure to him. It’s a beautiful love story.
I love the acoustic guitar work on this song. It’s just brilliant.
Also, the fiddle part is great. Vince Gill came in and sang so
beautifully. There is such a charm about this song and I love the
traditional feel of it." Martina McBride
Written by Angel, Brett
James and Hillary Lindsey
Sometimes I feel like I never quite fit in
Like I'm always a little out of place
It's hard to be everything to everyone
There's so many roles I have to play
Sometimes I'm just barely hanging on
Seems like I'm always fighting to be strong
To find somewhere that I belong
[Chorus:]
When you love me every part of me feels
Like I'm right where I'm meant to be
When you touch me you reach through to
My soul to the truest place in me
Baby in your arms I'm free
To just be a woman
I can't believe how beautiful I feel
There is nothing here to hide
I'm unafraid and so completely real
Oh and never more alive
This life can be so hard to understand
But your eyes oh they see me as I am
And you take me as I am
[Chorus]
Baby hold me close never let me go
Never let me go
[Chorus]
To just be a woman
Written by James Slater
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the
world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me
strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand
around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart
has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
“This is such a wonderful song. As the mother of two daughters, I think it really expresses the emotions involved in being a parent. We decided to cut it with just piano, vocal and string so it really let the lyrics shine through. I have never cut a song so specifically about being a parent but I just couldn’t pass this one up.
"In My Daughter's Eyes”, the first time I heard it I was completely blown away. Because I've never recorded a song completely about being a parent before, but that one really gets it. It really captures the emotion and the twist which is, these little people are dependent upon you for everything, but really you're dependent upon them as well for this joy and this light and this wonder that they fill your life up with. So, I really loved the way the song was written and I think it expressed parenthood in a beautiful way.
It’s really beautiful and speaks about what our children can teach us and how they can enrich our lives. It is a love song to our daughters.” Martina McBride
Written by Odie Blackmon and Bill
Deasy
I was alone in the dark
Never let down my guard
Closed the curtain on my heart
So the world could not see
All the demons in me
Told myself I was free
Then you showed me how wrong I could be
[Chorus:]
Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble
That once was a wall
Took years to build around me
And you came along
And you tore it down
Like it was nothing at all
Now it's a little scary
Learning to fall
When you looked in my eyes
Past the fear and false pride
You saw goodness inside
I can't believe how I feel
I believe love is real
And I'm ready to heal
You show me how right I can be
[Chorus]
I was holding on, now I'm letting go
I was holding on, now I'm letting go
I was holding on, now I'm letting go
[Chorus]
“This song is about learning to let go and fall in love, even though you’re used to being alone and you have built up walls to protect yourself. Letting someone in to the point that they can affect your world. It has such a hook chorus. With the guitars in the bridge and the Beach Boys-sounding vocals. It is interesting and very melodic.” Martina McBride
Written by Tom Douglas
and Barry Dean
I met God's Will on a Halloween night
He was dressed as a bag of leaves
It hid the braces on his legs at first
His smile was as bright as the August sun
When he looked at me
As he struggled down the driveway, it almost
Made me hurt
Will don't walk too good
Will don't talk too good
He won't do the things that the other kids do,
In our neighborhood
[Chorus:]
I've been searchin', wonderin', thinkin'
Lost and lookin' all my life
I've been wounded, jaded, loved and hated
I've wrestled wrong and right
He was a boy without a father
And his mother's miracle
I've been readin', writin', prayin', fightin'
I guess I would be still
Yeah, that was until
I knew God's Will
Will's mom had to work two jobs
We'd watch him when she had to work late
And we'd all laugh like I hadn't laughed
Since I don't know when
Hey Jude was his favorite song
At dinner he'd ask to pray
And then he'd pray for everybody in the world but him
[Chorus]
Before they moved to California
His mother said, they didn't think he'd live
And she said each day that I have him, well it's just
another gift
And I never got to tell her, that the boy
Showed me the truth
In crayon red, on notebook paper, he'd written
Me and God love you
I've been searchin', prayin', wounded, jaded
I guess I would be still
Yeah that was until...
I met God's Will on a Halloween night
He was dressed as a bag of leaves
“What a song! The first time I heard it, it was so beautiful it made me cry. I love this story and the fact that you never know where the big life-lessons are going to come from. This little boy was able to teach the singer about what’s really important in life – love and hope. All the musicians played so emotionally and from the heart. We got this in one take. At the end of the take Dan Huff started playing this cool guitar riff and the whole band just kept playing. We decided to leave all that on the record because it’s really a beautiful, soulful piece of music. I also love the string arrangement. This was a rough mix that John did early in the project. I went in and re-sang a few lines and he spent a day and a half mixing it. But it never had the same emotion as the rough mix. So it has its flaws both vocally and mix-wise. Some of the p’s pop and that drives John crazy, but we decided to sacrifice ‘perfection’ for emotion. That’s always a good trade-off.” Martina McBride
Written by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
“I’ve always loved this song. Of course, being from Kansas, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was a big deal at our house growing up. I remember vividly the first time I saw Judy Garland sing this as Dorothy. I must have been about five years old. I cried every time I saw that scene for years. We put it in our show a couple of years ago and it became a fan favorite. I got so many requests to include this on an album, so I did it as a gift to the fans who love our version.” Martina McBride
Written by Chris Lindsey, Hillary Lindsey, Aimee Mayo and Troy Verges
Hold me
like a wild flower
Fall around me like a sun shower
Kiss me like you’re on fire
And tell me what’s underneath
Show me
I want you to show me
What love is
Run with me like a hell bent gypsy
Scream for me from the highest balcony
Carve my name on an old red door in Spain
Make me immortal, make me immortal in your heart
Show me
I want you to show me
What love is
What love is
Baby, get my attention
Touch me deep inside
Show me what I’ve been missing
Missing all my life
Give me my finest hour
Give me my ray of light
Give me something that can’t be denied
Like a thousand red balloons
In a sapphire sky
A roman candle burning
Burning through the night
Like the pyramids in Egypt
The diamonds in your eyes
Show me
Show me what love is
Like the Eiffel tower shining
With a million lights
Snowflakes falling like confetti
On a New York City night
And to hold on to forever
Newborn babies cry (show me, show me)
I want you to show me
What love is
Show me
Show me what love is
Like a wild flower (like a wild flower)
