Better Dig Two

Label

Republic Nashville

Genre

Country rock

Composer(s)

Brandy Clark;Shane McAnally;Trevor Rosen

Entered Chart

Nov 17, 2012

Peak Date

Feb 2, 2013

Released

October 29, 2012

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Republic Nashville Digital

The lead single from The Band Perry's sophomore album finds Kimberley Perry singing of her undying love for her spouse. The song was penned by Nashville songwriters Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen, who also co-penned Chris Young's single "Neon." Also contributing was Brandy Clark, who previously teamed up with McAnally to write Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart" and David Nail's "That's How I'll Remember You." It was originally demoed by Kacey Musgraves. The Band Perry officially debuted the hard-driving track when they performed it at the 46th Annual CMA Awards. Preceding the awards, the siblings spoke to on-air personalities about the tune, calling it "the ultimate love song … the kind of love not even death can separate." This was The Band Perry's third Country #1 following "If I Die Young" and "All My Life." Fans of anything Southern Gothic, the Perrys were instantly drawn to the song. "Every time we hear a song and it sounds like we would have written it, we always are willing to cut it," Neil Perry told The Boot. "That song has all the elements that we love in a great song ... it's got that Southern Gothic kind of feel to it, and it's a love song. But it's written in kind of a dark way and that's what we really like about it." This was originally recorded by Jo Dee Messina under the title of "Put Me In The Ground." It was the last song that she recorded for her former label. Messina told Billboard magazine: "They didn't hear it, and wouldn't commit to it being a single, so the writers said they wouldn't license it because The Band Perry wanted to cut it. It was a #1 record for them under the title 'Better Dig Two.' I'm so glad they did it because I knew the song was a smash when I heard it. We did it live, and people loved it. I'm glad someone did hear it because the writers deserved it to be out there." The song's protagonist is a woman so in love that, should anything happen to her man she would follow him to the grave. "'Better Dig Two' is kind of like the ultimate commitment song," Kimberly explained to Radio.com. "Anybody who has experienced true, committed and OK somewhat crazy love for someone else — you say, I would die if something ever happened to you! This particular character in our song just will not live life without her significant other." "I think the card that our mother got for our dad for Valentine's Day probably sums it up best," she continued. "It's a picture of these two skeletons with giant red hearts, and it said 'til death do us part is for quitters.' And that's what 'Better Dig Two' is about — absolute lifetime commitment." Co-writer Trevor Rosen explained the song's origin in an Entertainment Weekly interview: "I was writing on Music Row in Nashville with Shane McAnally one day - and this was back before any of us had any hits - and Brandy Clark was in the next room and popped in just to say hey before we all left for the day. I had my guitar in my hands and was just mindlessly picking and Brandy said, 'What is that? That sounds really cool.' So we all started messing around and about an hour later we had a decent start on that song but we were done for the day so we were like, 'Let's just record it and come back to it,' except then we forgot about it [laughs]. A year later were at a writer's retreat and when me, Shane, and Brandy got paired up, Shane said, 'You know, I think we had something a long time ago.' So we pulled it up and were like, 'Holy s--t!'"

I told you on the day we wed
I was gonna love you 'til I's dead
Made you wait 'til our wedding night
That's the first and the last time I wear white

So if the ties that bind ever do come loose
Tie them in a knot like a hangman's noose
'Cause I'll go to heaven or I'll go to hell
Before I'll see you with someone else

Put me in the ground
Put me six foot down
And let the stone say

Here lies the girl whose only crutch
Was loving one man just a little too much
If you go before I do
I'm gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two

Well
It won't be whiskey, won't be meth
It'll be your name on my last breath
If divorce or death ever do us part
The coroner will call it a broken heart

So put me in the ground
Put me six foot down
And let the stone say

Here lies the girl whose only crutch
Was loving one man just a little too much
If you go before I do
I'm gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two

Dig two
Ooh, ooh

I took your name when I took those vows
I meant 'em back then and I mean 'em right now
Oh, right now

If the ties that bind ever do come loose
If forever ever ends for you
If that ring gets a little too tight
You might as well read me my last rights

And let the stone say

Here lies the girl whose only crutch
Was loving one man just a little too much
If you go before I do
Gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig, uh!

Heavy stone right next to mine,
We'll be together 'til the end of time
Don't you go before I do,
I'm gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two

I told you on the day we wed
I was gonna love you 'til I's dead