Walker Hayes and his wife, Laney, have beaten incredible odds to keep their marriage strong for more than 20 years.
Since tying the knot in June 2004, the couple have weathered poverty, addiction, the pressures of fame and even the heartbreaking loss of a child.
The lyrics of his song “I Still Do,” one of the stand-out tracks on this year’s 17 Problems album, don’t shy away from talking about the hard stuff.
Read More: Walker Hayes Almost Broke Sobriety After His Daughter’s Death
In fact, the hard stuff is kind of the point.
In “I Still Do,” Hayes rewrites the vows he spoke to Laney more than 21 years ago.
He reflects on their most painful moments as a couple and admits that, on their wedding day, he never could have imagined just how difficult it would be to keep choosing love — even on the hardest days.
Last week, the singer underscored “I Still Do”‘s message by sharing video of himself flipping through his wedding album.
Read More: Walker Hayes Worries He’s Messed Up His Kids [Interview]
He and Laney were fresh-faced and all smiles as they walked arm in arm out of the church that day. It’s easy to picture them as “just a couple of kids just sayin’ what the preacher told us to,” as he sings in the song.
But the hook of “I Still Do” delivers a lyrical twist that will ring true for any couple still going strong, years after their wedding day.
“Didn’t know what we were doin’,” Hayes admits, “But baby, I still do.”
Not every love story faces challenges quite as tough as the Hayes family overcame.
But everyone who gets married takes a leap of faith, reciting vows that, as starry-eyed newlyweds, they won’t fully understand until years or decades down the line.
Walker Hayes, “I Still Do” Lyrics:
You’re gonna love me when the job I hate / Takes all I’ve got to give / And all that’s left of me’s a paycheck / That can barely feed the kids
And I’m gonna love you even when / We’re miles across the bed / Lookin’ back now, baby / Those are the vows we should’ve said…
Chorus:
We said for better, we said for worse / But we didn’t know what worse would mean / We said for richer, we said for poorer / But we didn’t know how broke we’d be / Just a couple of kids just sayin’ / What the preacher told us to / Didn’t know what we were doin’ / Man, but baby, I still do
Well, you gonna love me when the bottle / Won’t let my hand let go of it / And I’m gonna love you when your mascara / Can’t outrun your childhood s–t
So we gonna have to forgive / A whole lot more than we can forget / Yeah, we made it somehow / But those are the vows we should’ve said..
Repeat Chorus
Left that church to find forever / Ain’t for the faint of heart / After all these years together / Baby, I still mean the ”til death do us part’ / Baby, I still mean the ”til death do us part’
Repeat Chorus
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
