Thomas Rhett And Morgan Wallen Score No. 1 Hit With “Mamaw’s House”

“The fact that we can write a song about our grandmothers, and it could be a No. 1 is pretty awesome,” Rhett admitted.

By

Andrew Wendowski

Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.

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Posted on March 16, 2024

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Thomas Rhett, Photo by Andrew Wendowski; Morgan Wallen, Photo Courtesy of Matt Paskert

Thomas Rhett and Morgan Wallen have the No. 1 song at Country Radio with “Mamaw’s House.” The country superstars claimed the top spot on the Billboard Country Airplay with their duet, marking Rhett’s 22nd No. 1 at Country radio, while it serves as Wallen’s 12th (14 counting Hot Country Songs).

While co-hosting Country Countdown USA alongside Lon Helton, Thomas Rhett admitted that the “song wasn’t even supposed to be a single, and now it’s becoming a hit.” In fact, Rhett was skeptical about the song climbing the charts as at the time Wallen had another song in the Top 10 at Country radio. So, he was nearly certain that their collaboration “didn’t have a chance.”

“Maybe there were too many collaborations, but it seems there can’t be too many collaborations. Not with Morgan,” Rhett added.

Rhett also elaborated on how the song came together over a Zoom call in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. “Morgan and I wrote this song in 2020 on Zoom. Halfway through the session, Morgan got a call from his grandmother,” Rhett explained in the discussion. “After that, we decided to write a song about our grandmothers. The fact that we can write a song about our grandmothers, and it could be a No. 1 is pretty awesome.”

Morgan Wallen and Thomas Rhett; Photo Courtesy of Tanner Gallagher
Morgan Wallen and Thomas Rhett; Photo Courtesy of Tanner Gallagher

Story Behind The Song: “Mamaw’s House”

Co-written by Thomas Rhett alongside Morgan Wallen, Matt Dragstrem and Chase McGill, “Mamaw’s House” serves as a tribute to he and Wallen’s Grandmas as well as Grandmas around the world.

“The song describes my grandmothers and Morgan’s as well – we wanted to describe a small town piece of paradise. Growing up, I can remember going to both of my grandmothers’ houses in South Georgia. I learned so many life lessons there about hard work, manners, and respect. This song really hits home for me and I hope everyone feels the same,” Rhett explained via a press release.

Wallen also shared similar sentiments as Rhett.

“Many times in the past, I’ve been open and honest about the love I have for my Mamaw Boots,” Wallen added in the same press release. “It was only a matter of time before a song was inspired by her.  I dedicate this one to not only her, but to my living grandmothers as well. I hope they know what a big part they’ve all played in shaping my life. TR had a similar experience growing up, so I’m really glad we got to write and record this song together. Hope y’all enjoy it.”

Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen "Mamaw's House" Single Art
Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen “Mamaw’s House” Single Art

The mid-tempo tune begins with Wallen telling a group of friends “sorry, my Mamaw called me, I’ll be right back” before leaving the room to talk to his late grandma. Wallen then launched into the first verse and chorus of the heartfelt track, before Rhett takes on the second verse and chorus.

Throughout the song, Rhett and Wallen reflect on their grandmas and the profound impact they made on each of their respective lives and how they found a safe space at their “Mamaw’s House.” The pair then join together to sing the track’s final chorus, showcasing their rich harmonies flawlessly.

If every nightstand had a Bible, every front porch had a swing/ If every backyard had a garden, every front door had a screen/ Yeah, maybe this crazy world would straighten up and slow on down/ If every town had a Mamaw’s house/ Yeah, maybe this crazy world would straighten up and slow on down/ If every town had a mamaw’s house,” Rhett and Wallen sing on the tune’s final chorus.

How Did “Mamaw’s House” Come To Be?

“Mamaw’s House” is a product of a 2020 writing session that took place over Zoom during the pandemic.

“About midway through to 2020, Me and Morgan Wallen wrote a song together and I just kind of want to set the scene for you a real quick because obviously this was 2020, and we were writing the song over the dang internet, which was crazy,” Rhett previously explained during a concert in Bristow, Virginia.

The Georgia native continued to shared that neither him nor Wallen liked the song they were writing at the time, and they were about to just give up on the track. That is before Wallen’s Grandma called him and inspired them to keep writing.

“We were writing a song that neither of us liked at all, and I finally had to come to the point of like ‘hey dude, like neither of us like this, let’s just either quit or write something else,” Rhett continued. “And right about that time, his grandma called him on the phone, and he goes ‘Hello’ and she goes ‘What cha doin’ Morgan? This is your Mamaw calling, what cha doing?’ And Morgan was like, ‘Oh, I’m just writing a song.’”

The “Slow Down Summer” singer also realized that both he and Wallen’s Grandmas are from East Tennessee, so the song just came naturally after that. “I was like ‘oh where’s your mamaw from?’ and he’s said ‘East Tennessee’ and I got a Mamaw in East Tennessee and this whole song kind of came together so supernatural,” Rhett added. “So we wrote this song about our Grandmamas…”

This Isn’t Rhett’s First Time Collaborating With Wallen

“Mamaw’s House” is not the first collaborative project the superstar pairing have worked on, as Rhett is listed as a co-writer on several tracks on Wallen’s record-breaking sophomore project, Dangerous: The Double Album, including “Whiskey’d My Way” and “Your Bartender.”

The pair of hitmakers also previously performed together. In March of 2022, Wallen surprised fans during his third consecutive sold-out show in Nashville with a guest appearance from Rhett to perform “Whiskey’d My Way.”

“Mamaw’s House” appears on Thomas Rhett’s just released retrospective 20 NUMBER ONES collection, crafted to honor earning 20 No. 1 hits in just 10 years. The 20-track project serves as a reflection of Rhett’s chart-topping success throughout his musical journey.

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Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.

See more posts from Andrew Wendowski