Top Songs Written by Natalie Hemby

Natalie Nicole Hemby Wrucke has outfitted the streets of music city for an ample time now. Born as the daughter of Nashville studio guitarist Tom Hemby and Deanna Hemby in Bloomington Indiana, the songstress has quite an impressive catalog. She’s freed music under her name for projects Puxico and Pins and Needles. In 2019, Hemby joined Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile, and Amanda Shires in the all-female musical quartet, The Highwomen and released their debut record Highwomen. Additionally, the songstress has penned countless compositions for household names since her beginnings in Nashville. Here are a few songs that you may not have known that Hemby co-wrote.

1. “Only Prettier” by Miranda Lambert

“Only Prettier" was written by Hemby and Lambert, and produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke - whom Hemby is married too. The tongue-in-cheek musical creation sculpts contradictory lifestyles, a country girl versus a city girl, and Lambert acknowledges that she’s just like her, except prettier. This song marks the singer-songwriter’s seventh number-one hit. She sings, “So let's shake hands and reach across those party lines / You got your friends just like I got mine / We might think a little differently / But we got a lot in common you will see / We're just like you, only prettier.”

2. "Pontoon” by Little Big Town

“Pontoon” was actually penned after somebody misheard Hemby and Laird writing “Fine Tune” for Miranda Lambert. As the story goes, somebody rubbed shoulders with Hemby and asked, “What was that song of yours? ‘Pontoon or something?” The track ended up being a huge hit for country band Little Big Town.

3.“Go On Without Me” by Brett Eldredge

“Go On Without Me,” co-written with Hemby, Eldredge, and Ross Copperman, closes out Eldredge’s debut record Bring You Back; it's the same album that hosts “Beat of The Music,” “Don’t Ya,” “Raymond,” and “Mean To Me.” “Go On Without Me” is one of the more mellow tracks on Eldredge’s collection and was written shortly after Lindsay Walleman - Manager of Midwest/Northeast Promotions, W.A.R Team at Warner Music Nashville and Brett’s friend - passed away. The song is written from the perspective of the one that has passed saying that it’s okay to move on and not to be sad about it. Eldredge sings, “I'll always hear the prayers in your head late at night / I'm walkin' right beside you and nobody's by your side / I don't want you to cry over my memories / So go on without me, / Without me.”

4. “Good Goes The Bye” by Kelly Clarkson

“Good Goes The Bye” found a home on Clarkson’s seventh studio album Piece By Piece. Written with Hemby, Shane McAnally, and Jimmy Robbins, the song was originally crafted as a country song but quickly welcomed the warmth of synth-pop tendencies. The 80s-inspired sonic landscape depicts the end of a relationship and all the pain wrapped up into one three-minute and 21-second story.

5. “Good Ol’ Boys Club” by Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves’ “Good Ol’ Boys Club” ignited a lot of controversies when it first released. A number of music critics assumed that the lyric “Another gear in a big machine don’t sound like fun to me” was written about Taylor Swift who was signed with Big Machine record label at the time - but that was far from the truth. Written by Hemby, Brandy Clark, and Josh Osborne, the song is independently ambitious and is simply about not liking to stroke some egos. “Don't wanna be a part of the good ol' boys club / Cigars and handshakes, appreciate you but no thanks / Another gear in a big machine don't sound like fun to me / Don't wanna be a part of the good ol' boys club."

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