Keith Urban had a surprise for fans during the final stop on his High and Alive Tour — and it came in the form of a lyric slip-up.
The country superstar was performing “The Fighter” at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Friday (Oct. 17) when he blanked on the words mid-song.
The moment, captured by a fan and shared on TikTok, showed Urban catching himself in real time — and taking it all in stride.
‘I’ve Forgotten My Own Words’
While singing the 2016 duet originally recorded with Carrie Underwood, Urban, 57, reached the lyric “‘Cause you’re beautiful” before trailing off, chuckling, and admitting, “And I’ve forgotten my own words to my song.”
Natalie Stovall, who joined him on the duet in Underwood’s place, took it in stride, dancing beside him until it was her turn to sing.
Read More: Keith Urban Brought to His Knees, Pauses Nashville Show During ‘Somebody Like You’ [Watch]
The crowd loved it — and so did Urban, who smiled through the moment.
The flub may have been accidental, but the song’s return to the setlist was deliberate.
“The Fighter” had been quietly pulled from Urban’s shows following fan backlash over a previous performance with guitarist Maggie Baugh.
The Song, the Controversy + a Lyric That Landed Wrong
At a Sept. 25 show in Chicago, Urban performed “The Fighter” with Baugh and swapped the original lyric — “When they’re tryna get to you, baby, I’ll be your fighter” — for a personalized nod: “When they’re tryna get to you, Maggie, I’ll be your guitar player.”
The moment raised eyebrows, not just because of the tweak, but because the love song was originally inspired by Urban’s now-estranged wife, Nicole Kidman — and the change came just days before their split became public.
After the Chicago show, Baugh stepped away from social media and has not performed with Urban since.
She returned to Instagram on Oct. 6, teasing “an announcement coming soon,” which turned out to be a new single, “The Devil Win.”
Read More: Keith Urban Dodges Awkward ‘Nicole’ Moment With Humor and Heart [Watch]
Friday’s show marked the first time Urban had performed “The Fighter” in full — and with the original lyrics — since news of the split broke.
Life Changes, But the Music Goes On
The moment came just weeks after Urban and Kidman’s divorce filing became public. The two had quietly separated over the summer after nearly 20 years of marriage.
Court documents show Urban signed divorce papers on August 29; Kidman followed on September 6. Their date of separation — September 30 — was also the day the filing was made public.
They reached a private custody agreement focused on their daughters, Sunday Rose (17) and Faith Margaret (14).
Kidman will have the girls for 306 days each year; Urban, 59. No child support will be exchanged, and all major parenting decisions will be made jointly. Neither parent is allowed to speak negatively about the other.
A source close to Kidman says she’s focused on moving forward, grounded in family and work. “She isn’t someone who dwells on regrets,” the insider shared. “She believes everything happens for a reason.”
Read More: The Keith Urban Divorce Rumor That’s Too Crazy to Be True
Urban didn’t address any of it directly on stage — but with one forgotten lyric, a chuckle, and a full-hearted performance, he said just enough.
9 Keith Urban Songs That Were Inspired By Nicole Kidman
During Keith Urban’s two-decade-long love story with Nicole Kidman, the singer recorded several songs inspired by their relationship. Some he wrote just for her, while others were outside cuts that made him think of his own love story.
The only upside to this couple’s devastating divorce news? Maybe we’ll get some amazing new heartbreak music from the country superstar.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
