Morgan Wallen is a rising star in the country music scene, known for his distinctive voice and catchy songs. One of his most popular tracks is “Had Me By Halftime”, a romantic tune that tells the story of how he met his girlfriend at a football game and fell in love with her before the second half. The song is from his debut album “If I Know Me”, which was released in 2018 and has been certified gold by the RIAA.
The Inspiration Behind the Song
Wallen, who is a native of Tennessee and a huge fan of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, said that the song was inspired by his own experience of going to a game with a girl he liked. He told Taste of Country that he had a crush on her for a while, but he didn’t know if she felt the same way. He invited her to join him at a game, and he was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed it. He said:
She was just having a blast. She knew every word to the fight song, she had her little airplane bottles in her purse. She was just super into it, and I was like, ‘Man, this is awesome.’
He added that he wrote the song with his friends Josh Miller, James McNair, Daniel Ross and Hardy, who are also big football fans. They wanted to capture the feeling of meeting someone who shares your passion and makes you happy.
The Meaning of the Lyrics
The song begins with Wallen describing how he met the girl at a corn hole game, a popular tailgating activity, and how he offered her a ticket to sit with him at the stadium. He then sings:
You had a 16 home team jersey on Singin’ every word to the fight song Had your airplane bottles from your purse out Had a country mile smile every first down Last thing on my mind was the football Watchin’ you girl like it’s gonna be a good fall You would’ve thought that post-game kiss would’ve made me wanna make you mine But you had me by halftime
The chorus reveals how Wallen was smitten by the girl’s enthusiasm, charm and beauty, and how he realized that he wanted to be with her before the game was even over. He compares his feelings to the excitement of watching a football game, and how he didn’t care about the score or the outcome, as long as he had her by his side.
The second verse continues with Wallen describing how he was mesmerized by the girl during the halftime show, and how he felt lucky to have scored a free ticket to see her. He then repeats the chorus, and adds a bridge where he says that he still thinks about her every time the leaves start falling, implying that they are still together and happy.
The Reception of the Song
The song was well-received by both fans and critics, who praised Wallen’s vocals, the catchy melody and the relatable lyrics. The song peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and number 14 on the Country Airplay chart. It also has over 40 million streams on Spotify, and over 10 million views on YouTube.
The song resonated with many listeners who could relate to the story of finding love at a football game, or any other sporting event. Some fans even shared their own stories of how they met their partners at games, and how the song reminded them of their special moments. Wallen said that he was happy to hear that his song touched people’s lives, and that he hoped to inspire more people to enjoy football and country music. He said:
I think it’s cool that people can relate to it, and maybe it’ll make them want to go to a game, or maybe it’ll make them want to listen to some country music, or maybe it’ll make them want to do both. That’s what I’m hoping for.
