4 Forgotten 2000s Country Songs That Feel Like Growing Up

There’s a specific sector of 2000s country music that was made just for the dreamers. Here are some forgotten hits that feel like growing up and dreaming big.

“Wide Open Spaces” by The Dixie Chicks

Susan Gibson, who was a member of a band called The Groobees, wrote this song. “Wide Open Spaces” is all about wanting to leave home and see how life works for yourself. As Gibson shared with The Montanan, hearing The Dixie Chicks‘ version made her cry.

“It made me bawl my eyes out. It was so beautiful—it had this stunning musicianship and very professional production,” she explained. “I could still see my handwriting on the page, and here was this gorgeous recording of it.”

“Born To Fly” by Sara Evans

“Born To Fly” is all about chasing a dream, whether that be a certain “brown-eyed boy” or a music career. Sara Evans even told Wide Open Country, while talking about this song, “I just had to make that tough choice to leave my family and my home, my friends and everything that I’d ever known and move to Nashville. But I knew that I was born to fly.”

“Baby Girl” by Sugarland

In “Baby Girl”, the listener hears a letter from a certain daughter who’s gone off to do big things. She’s in a town where she can’t tell the difference between the stars and the neon lights, and where everybody’s your friend, so “you can never be sure.” She asks her mom and dad to send her money and tells them not to worry.

“Suds In The Bucket” by Sara Evans

“Suds In The Bucket” is about a girl who leaves her laundry out to dry and runs off with her boyfriend, who’s headed to Las Vegas. Written by Billy Montana and Tammy Wagoner, it was originally intended to be an up-tempo song for Lee Ann Womack. However, it’s hard not to hear those chorus lyrics and immediately think of Sara Evans. Especially because the character in this one is 18, it gives the vibe of teetering between choosing home and independence.

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