Lainey Wilson Saved a Marriage, and She Just Can’t Get Past That

Lainey Wilson says she gets requests to add lyrics to her song “Things a Man Oughta Know” all the time. Some are touching. Some are funny. A few are odd.

“Put the toilet lid down,” she says, when pressed for one example. “Like, how am I gonna sing that? [Sings] ’I can put the toilet seat down …‘”

A year ago, when the song was new, Wilson used to write parody versions. As it nears No. 1 on the country airplay charts, she tells Taste of Country Nights that she might bring that habit back.

Wilson’s audience and their response to the singer’s first country hit has been truly dynamic. To a certain degree, she’s just now getting to experience it all as she opens shows for Jason Aldean on his Back in the Saddle Tour.

“I have seen everyone from little girls to old men singing the song,” Wilson says. “So many people are connecting to it, across the board. I’ve heard from guys who gave up and did get it wrong — they’re like, ‘I wish I heard your song sooner.’”

Recently, a woman shared a story about herself and her husband: They were on the verge of divorce, Wilson says the woman told her, until, “she sent the song to her husband and … now they’re better than ever. He really took the song to heart and was like, ‘You know what, I’m gonna figure it out.'”

“When [Jason Nix, Jonathon Singleton and I] were writing the song, of course we were trying to make it as relatable as we can, but we didn’t know we were going to save a marriage,” the newcomer admits.

Find “Things a Man Oughta Know” on Wilson’s critically acclaimed Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ album, released earlier this year, and look for full artist interviews with Evan and Amber weekly on Taste of Country Nights, On Demand.