You Dummies, Miranda Lambert Changed The Lyrics to “Little Red Wagon” a Long Time Ago
I normally try and avoid this type of celebrity back and forth stupidity, and in fact I’m embarrassed this type of stuff even passes under my nose. But as the sole proprietor of a country music website, it’s one of the rigors of the daily grind of aggregating information and being on top of news. And on a slow news week in country music when the biggest story was Reba McEntire emerging as the new Colonel Sanders, I guess entertainment media had to manufacture something to drive clicks, and that’s exactly what they did by ripping scabs off the old tired tabloid warhorse that is the Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton divorce.
I bit my tongue earlier this week when numerous outlets, including US Weekly, Fox News, E Online, and scores of country music blogs asserted that Miranda Lambert had newly revamped the lyrics to her song “Little Red Wagon” for the recently launched “Livin’ Like Hippies” tour to take a jab at her ex. Lambert was seen on grainy cell phone video replacing the line “I live in Oklahoma” with “I got the hell out of Oklahoma.” Blake Shelton is an Oklahoma native and the two lived there during their marriage. Miranda, who is a native of east Texas, hoofed it out to Nashville after the 2015 split.
But of course the only problem with this story is the fact that Miranda Lambert changed those lyrics a long time ago. Here’s a video taken over 10 months prior of Miranda Lambert singing the same damn line, despite US Weekly and Fox News saying the change is brand new. It also doesn’t take into consideration that maybe Miranda Lambert just changed the lyrics because she doesn’t live in Oklahoma anymore and the line is not relevant. But, it probably is a little dig at Blake. It’s just in no way a new one. “Little Red Wagon” wasn’t even written by Lambert. It’s a song originally performed and written by Audra Mae.
But whatever. I get it, drama makes for good attention. But now the media, including Fox News, is making a big deal about how Blake Shelton has now answered Miranda Lambert’s “shade” by singing “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” at Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa festival in Riviera Maya. “Shelton’s choice to sing ‘All My Exes Live in Texas’ came just one day after his ex went after his home state of Oklahoma,” says Fox News. But of course this is not true since Miranda Lambert has been singing the new line since at least March of 2017.
And Blake Shelton has been singing “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” for years. The old George Strait song has been a mainstay of Shelton’s set lists really since the beginning of his career. Here’s a video of him singing the song during his “Doing It To Country Songs” tour in Fresno uploaded on March 6th, 2017, eight days BEFORE the Miranda Lambert video linked above from a March 2017 Bossier City performance with the changed “Little Red Wagon” lyrics. And to prove the point even further, there are scores of videos of Blake Shelton performing “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” from even before he and Miranda Lambert got divorced, including this one from way back in March of 2011 where he talks lovingly of Miranda Lambert and their engagement before playing the song, and before they were married.
Anyway, I ain’t about drama, y’all. But my journalistic heart can’t sit back and let this fake feud fueled by cellphone footage get dumped on the public without offering a correction based on just a minuscule amount of research and context to help give folks perspective. Was Miranda Lambert throwing some “shade” at Blake Shelton with the lyric change? She probably was. Was Blake Shelton responding by singing “All My Exes”? Probably not. And why is Miranda also being characterized as attacking Oklahoma too when these articles themselves say her shade is aimed at Shelton?
Too often the media doesn’t take into consideration these are actual people with personal lives who they’re trying to pit against each other. There’s plenty of other stuff celebrities do in the public eye that gets ridiculed. There’s no reason to concoct a fake back-and-forth out of thin air.
January 27, 2018 @ 11:58 am
“There’s no reason to concoct a fake back-and-forth out of thin air.”
Sure there is.
“I guess entertainment media had to manufacture something to drive clicks, and that’s exactly what they did by ripping scabs off the old tired tabloid warhorse that is the Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton divorce.”
January 27, 2018 @ 11:59 am
The whole thing smelled of a press released story to drive media attention for a tour kickoff. The fan video wasn’t exactly viral. I hope she changes her narrative from woman done wrong soon. It’s starting to turn people off and she’s capable of much more than that three years down the road. But what do I know?
January 27, 2018 @ 5:10 pm
Your comment says you are a Shefani fan, you automatically blame ML. The Shefani fans tweeted and tagged TMZ, ET, Entertainment tonight etc. the video, then when the story was published they replied with attacks on Miranda and her fans defended her. For the record, I like Miranda and Blake, and both fan bases are guilty of things. Not fair to blame Miranda for everything. Miranda has sung the song that way for 2+ years and Blake and Gwen have milked their divorces and hook up for the past 2+ years. It’d sure be cool if everyone could just move along and quit bashing and bitching both of them.
January 28, 2018 @ 11:09 am
Huh? Nope, I just waded through Facebook comments about the ‘controversy’. My press release theory was solely based on the number of articles written about it by various outlets. But I’m not a pr person so not my area of expertise.
January 28, 2018 @ 4:08 am
Totally agree with your comment About reader. Miranda still needs her name linked to Blake’s in the media 3 years after the divorce to get any publicity for her tour. Her fans just cant move on. They are obsessed with hating on Blake . Gwen and Blake on the other hand don’t need or want the media attention.
January 28, 2018 @ 5:42 am
You also failed to point out in your article that folks from Oklahoma were upset with Miranda cause she sounded like she was putting down the state of OK. So it wasn’t just about Blake. I read comments from people from OK that were mad. This is all a ploy for media attention by Miranda and her team. Also she recently upset some Garth Brooks fans with her support for her boyfriend s comments that slammed Garth. Blake has been singing that song for years so it made no sense to bring that up.
January 28, 2018 @ 8:29 am
Betty that is very funny. I don’t have a twitter account . ???? I check it out online but don’t use it. You know how many Marie’s there are on SM? ???? Typical Miranda fan to try and twist everything around if you don’t like the comments . Miranda left Blake. She wanted out of the marriage. Yep and she did cheat and than played the victim to make herself look good to fans. So I don’t know what her fans issues are with Blake and Gwen. Makes no sense to me. Everyone should move on.
January 28, 2018 @ 7:31 am
Marie, I see your posts often on Miranda’s Twitter. I don’t usually comment but since you seem to be so bothered, have you ever thought about staying off Miranda’s. I don’t care for all Blake and Gwen’s drama so I don’t go on theirs.
January 27, 2018 @ 12:01 pm
It’s like Jen Anniston and Brad Pitt, nobody ever wants to let anything die. Especially when all parties continue to be big names, and in the public eye
(thankfully, the gossip mags missed the real “shade” Miranda did maybe do that weekend, long story short so I don’t get accused of being a tease or something: it involved erasing Blake’s name off of a chalkboard, her fans were passing a picture around twitter).
January 27, 2018 @ 12:18 pm
It’s getting so bad now that people have made literal fake fan accounts & tried to spread non existent stories. I’m sure it happens to everyone but this rumor was from a fake MLfan account run by B/G fans. Not hard to look and see that it just spreads crap. So stop spreading another fake story seak05- Thanks. We know you dislike ML & always, always talk about BS but please stop the hate.
January 27, 2018 @ 12:29 pm
What the eff, wow you have issues, a) I actually do like Miranda, I just don’t love or hero worship Miranda – I really like the pistol annies b) it was a photo taken by a hotel employee, and I saw it posted by a known Miranda account. Put down the tin foil hat.
January 27, 2018 @ 12:37 pm
You post on a Shefani blog. You aren’t cryptic. Your twitter is always trying to stir negative things about Miranda and Anderson East. You aren’t a “regular” impartial commentator.
January 27, 2018 @ 12:51 pm
lol, you clearly have my twitter confused with someone else, or apparently the two tweets I’ve sent about Anderson in my life, are now trying to start “trouble”. Sorry, people are allowed to have opinions contrary to yours on a subject, without it being about personal lives
(and wtf is a shefani blog, y’all need to get a life)
January 27, 2018 @ 12:56 pm
Ok, but I am curious though, which part of the original comment do you disagree with? That it’s a Jen/Brad situation and it stinks? Or do you wish that the gossip mags had picked up on the story?
Bc hey *newsflash* the gossip mags don’t care about accuracy. It doesn’t matter if it was fake or not. So I’m glad the no stories were written. Y’all literally make no sense.
January 27, 2018 @ 12:34 pm
Also did you not notice the “” around shade? seriously, I hate stans
January 27, 2018 @ 3:37 pm
Okay this is absolutely crazy talk. I know who Seak is on Twitter and she doesn’t run a fan account at all.
You Miranda fans are insane as is witnessed every day on social media. The different pictures were posted on on a couple of different country discussion blogs by two
January 27, 2018 @ 3:39 pm
Separate employees. The guys facebook account has nothing to do with fan wars neither did the woman on twitter who is a Miramda fan.
Miranda does this shit to stir up drama like posing with fans with t shirts hating on Blake and signs hating on Gwen. None of this is new behaviour from her.
January 27, 2018 @ 12:05 pm
Thank you. Miranda changed lyrics in 2015 when she moved from Oklahoma & changed “long blonde hair – to short blonde hair” in 2015 & BS has played that song many times. You expect the Hollywood/media sites to get this stuff wrong but when COUNTRY sites do it’s ridiculous! They know very well it was done years ago b/c most reported on it then. Every country radio site ran w/ this OLD ass story. Both have moved on but it must get lots of hits b/c someone keeps pushing them.
PS on the Reba thing. ???? We NEVER asked for this, we only wanted equal pay!
January 27, 2018 @ 12:31 pm
I saw that on twitter, it made me laugh — because it’s so true
January 27, 2018 @ 12:16 pm
Oh, no. Here come the Blake Stans.
January 27, 2018 @ 12:39 pm
Yep. They have been discussing this site for weeks on their “Gwen loves Blake 4ever” blogs.
January 27, 2018 @ 1:15 pm
ok, I actually don’t want to do work. So I am fascinated. So you’re a Miranda fan. And you have been reading, apparently for weeks, a Gwen loves Blake 4ever blogs. So does that mean you regularly read more than one blog about Gwen loving Blake, as a Miranda fan? Why do you do that? Like his baffles me?
January 27, 2018 @ 2:54 pm
Have to step in. The chalkboard post was done by a young woman who was at the hotel. She even tweeted she thought it funny. She then realized it was being retweeted and posted she was taking it down because “I don’t want to get fired again for a tweet”. She deleted post. But within minutes it had been picked up. And a gent in the bar posted on his FB. It wasn’t weeks ago. It was the night she kicked off her tour. But regardless of that. Enough. I’m so tired of this. 3 freaking years.
January 27, 2018 @ 5:00 pm
Guess I didn’t need to be so specific.
January 27, 2018 @ 2:31 pm
Miranda and Blake should no longer be mentioned in articles in the media together cause they have been over for 3 years now. Maybe longer. They were only married 4 years and had no kids. But the media and sites do it cause they know the fans will give them clicks and comments . It is the fans fault. Some Miranda fans and other country fans are the absolute worst online. Finally getting better but the way those fans have made hateful comments on Social Media towards Blake and Gwen is disgusting. Just hateful. Not so sure that Miranda and her team didn’t low key encourage it cause they have to know how mean some of her fans are online. Thats the truth. Go check out the ran fans on twitter and Fb to see the hate they post. No wonder Blake stays off twitter. Why do they care what Gwen and Blake do? I am not nor have ever been a Miranda fan. Sure Gwen and Blake could care less about Miranda.
January 27, 2018 @ 2:55 pm
The Blake and Gwen fans come after Miranda and Anderson East too, and Carrie Underwood fans are often on the sideline waiting to take shots at Miranda because she hounds all the trophies in country. To act like one fan base is crazier than another is ridiculous. They’re all fanatic. That’s why they call them fans.
January 28, 2018 @ 12:17 am
That’s very true. But I don’t recall ever seeing a fan of Blake or Gwen’s wishing physical harm. When you tweet you hope Ms. Stefani falls off her horse and breaks every bone in her body. That’s disturbing. When grown women go on her sons periscope and post nasty comments about his mother (he was 10). That’s a problem. When Blake’s brother in law asked who to block because they have been attacking his wife. It’s a problem. When Carrie fans come onto a SM site and say welcome to our world because of years of attacks. WTF. But it just so ridiculous.
January 28, 2018 @ 10:26 am
Stans are a problem in every group, and certainly not limited to one fan club. I will say though, that on here and on pulse, (posting only in country music, so know nothing about Beyonce stans etc), I’ve been critical at various times of Blake, Luke, Dierks, Keith, Thomas, Chris, Carrie, and Miranda….and only consistently been attacked over “criticism” of Miranda.
January 28, 2018 @ 10:28 am
I think twitter is MUCH worse for this sort of thing. And actually stay far away from much commentary on music on twitter period. But I do see some of the back and forth, and it’s definitely from all fan groups, and completely insane. Also, women’s consistent need to bash other women’s looks is just incredibly sad to me.
January 27, 2018 @ 3:40 pm
I will just simply state I know what I have observed for the last 3 years on SM ( Twitter IG FB) and on different sites when it comes to Blake and Gwen and Miranda posts. I just have not seen Gwen’s fans be that hateful towards Miranda. I stick by my comment.
January 27, 2018 @ 5:21 pm
I have. They don’t just bash Miranda they also bash Gwen’s ex-husband. They attack Miranda’s weight and looks and accuse her of cheating on Blake blah blah blah. Sadly people believe crap they read in the tabloids. No one really knows what happens in anyone’s marriage/divorce and fans shouldn’t comment on it.
January 27, 2018 @ 4:32 pm
All fans are fanatics but there is a loud sect of Miranda fans that constantly spew vile hate (like publicly and repeatedly hoping Gwen falls off a horse and breaks her neck or rejoicing at and laughing about Carrie’s accident). It is what drove me away from Miranda truthfully. Those fans of hers sort of pollute everything. The Carrie and Blake and Gwen fans have things to say also but they generally say them without viciousness and targeted hate. There is a big difference in the tone of the fan bases.
January 27, 2018 @ 5:56 pm
No they’re all equally vicious. Blake, Carrie and Gwen’s fans are just as bad.
January 27, 2018 @ 2:46 pm
I’m confused…well…let’s see…BS (the guy…) is singing “Little Red Wagon” with new lyrics now. Or is it Reba doing it for fast-food shit & the girl singer who is winning all the Male…oops…Female Vocalist awards is yodeling out the great George Strait tune “All My Exes Live In Texas”? Right?
Wrong!
Fake News!
Drama Baby!
January 27, 2018 @ 2:53 pm
Yup…saving country music.
January 27, 2018 @ 3:28 pm
Yep, it is.
January 27, 2018 @ 4:14 pm
Miranda posted cookies with a sweet message that she took to Anderson’s family for Thanksgiving. The tabloids picked that up and claimed it was a dish at Blake. She changed the lyrics two years ago and fans at concerts love it.
January 27, 2018 @ 7:42 pm
I really don’t know what’s more embarrassing, honestly — the media drama over this, or Reba McEntire as Colonel Sanders.
January 27, 2018 @ 9:10 pm
Ooh, Reba, without question. That KFC felt the need to double down on PCism and identity culture and change the gender of one of the most recognizable advertising symbols in history one big extra large side of Bitch, Please. You think they’d just spend the money on making their damn chicken less greasy.
Reba in drag for the loss!
January 27, 2018 @ 9:16 pm
I don’t really care about it in the context of all that; I just think of it in the context of how great so much of her ’80s music was and how she got away from that, and eventually let the music take a back seat — or at lest a side seat — to things like this.
January 28, 2018 @ 6:44 am
I’m going to go buy some KFC now,just because of reactions like that. By the way, the fact that you couldn’t discuss a female Colonel without using the word bitch says more about your issues than I ever can. And also, using neocon buzz words like identity culture while bemoaning a female Colonel?I think that your identity is way more fragile than any of the supposed PC people you’re railing against. Men of quality do not fear equality.
January 28, 2018 @ 4:40 pm
What gender are you assuming I am?
January 29, 2018 @ 12:01 pm
Reba. If Colonel Sanders was a fictional character I wouldn’t care, but he was a real person and I think it is disrespectful to his memory.
January 30, 2018 @ 9:18 am
This is a great observation and excellent point.
January 27, 2018 @ 9:06 pm
I wonder what the Kardashians think of all this…
January 28, 2018 @ 4:26 am
Who?
Oh….must be the new country supergroup Timberlake-Stapleton-Simpson-Trigger!
The first album will be released by Scott Borchettas americana label, produced by Shane McAnally & all songs are written by Ashley Gorley. Walker Hayes will rap on 4-5 tracks. A dream comes true.
January 28, 2018 @ 7:06 am
LOL…..
January 28, 2018 @ 6:36 am
Who cares??? The only interesting Miranda news story is the possibility of a new pistol annies album: https://twitter.com/mirandalambert/status/956713817660108801
January 28, 2018 @ 8:51 am
Who cares about PA?
January 28, 2018 @ 9:27 am
Well… Angaleena Presley is great song writer who put out my favorite record of 2016, Miranda is the best mainstream country artist right now, and Ashley Monroe has a beautiful voice, so i think anyone with decent taste in music should care.
January 29, 2018 @ 12:03 pm
Agreed. I am so excited for new music from the Pistol Annies.
January 28, 2018 @ 8:14 am
When I saw her in Tulsa last March she changed the lyrics to “I still love Oklahoma y’all” or something like that.
January 28, 2018 @ 12:52 pm
She’s not gonna run her mouth against Oklahoma in Oklohoma. Miranda is a manufactured badass but she’s not that stupid.
January 28, 2018 @ 5:25 pm
I don’t think her saying she got the hell out of Oklahoma is running her mouth about it. I just posted my comment to show she just changes the lyrics to fit whatever. It shouldn’t be a big deal
January 28, 2018 @ 11:13 pm
I think the whole point of her changing the lyrics is to throw shade. It cheapens the shade though if you dont have the guts to do it in Oklahoma.
January 29, 2018 @ 8:01 am
I wish people gave as much attention to Miranda’s music as they did to her weight, looks, and personal life. Every album is solid and has at least a couple of what would be instant classics if people weren’t so dang shallow and sexist. I’m no modern feminist, either. Just calling it like I see it.
January 29, 2018 @ 11:23 am
Why do you get off on referring to your fans as “dummies”, “fuckwits”, and telling them to “eat shit”? I used to enjoy coming to this site regularly to discover cool music and tasteful reviews, but lately the credibility and class is significantly lacking. Especially when you go on tasteless rants, going as far as rather castrating yourself than listening to something you don’t like. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for negative reviews, and I’m not one to be PC, but to me, if you want an outsider to come in and discover something new and interesting, it seems blasting readers with “fuck yous” “eat shits”, “dummies”, etc. is not going to get new readers to stick around long. I think it does a disservice to what this community is trying to achieve, with gaining extra traction and progress in the roots/underground/alt country/ameripolitan/whatever you want to call it scene, and showing someone new there is something better out there than what is being served on the FM.
Just my thoughts and just curious why you have gotten so bitter. I started out reading this site years ago, found it by accident, and got hooked for the depth of good music to discover on it. If I came to this site now as a newbie, I’d be turned off very quickly.
January 29, 2018 @ 11:47 am
Zander,
My response was to someone who said that I “must” be getting paid by Chris Stapleton’s label to write puff pieces for him, which is a direct accusation against my credibility as a journalist and critic. Don’t think I haven’t had numerous opportunities to sell out over the last decade, and in ways that could help support myself financially as opposed to having to continue to make compromises to stay afloat. But I haven’t done so for the express purpose of being able to stay 100% independent from the industry. And to have someone say that the exact opposite is the case is an incredible insult on many different levels, and an insinuation that MUST be dealt with in a decisive manner.
Now I know what you’re going to say: What kind of credibility do you have when you’re telling readers, “Eat shit.” But that’s been the approach of this website on day 1. I give folks a forum to say whatever they want, including accusing me of outright corruption and bribery. But if they do, they have to understand I may respond.
I was insulted and hurt by that accusation. Perhaps my emotions got the best of me because all of the sacrifices I have made to keep this site going over the years. But I won’t apologize for putting down such a slanderous accusation.
January 29, 2018 @ 11:59 am
also Trig, can you at least entertain the idea that we’re just teasing you? If you can’t help feeding trolls, than just leave it alone. I know this guy, but that second person you lit up for calling you a sell-out doesn’t know either of us. You know, the one you told to eat shit.
It’s not a conspiracy, we’re not out to get you. A quick look at our IP addresses would have told you we’re writing from different places. I’m not on here to convince you, we don’t even know shooter- but you were a golden egg for publicity for that prick “circa 2014”.
Get a sense of humor or ignore us, but don’t talk about the integrity and the reputation of your website and then go calling us all fuckwits and dumb fucks for having a little fun.
January 29, 2018 @ 6:10 pm
Wow, way to drive in some reader comments, dude! ????????????
April 8, 2019 @ 10:13 am
I hope Texas is proud of Miranda, Oklahoma is glad she’s gone! She not only insulted Blake, but Oklahoman’s period.
August 20, 2020 @ 5:19 am
LOL hahaha you’re calling people dumb for saying she changed the lyrics for the show? She still changed them AFTER her break up with Blake, so obviously it is a dig against him! Duh