Merry Go Round
"Merry Go Round" was Kacey's debut single. The song was written with frequent Musgraves collaborators Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. "Merry Go Round" details the heartbreaking nature of small town life, where "we get bored, so we get married." The song revolves around a play-on-words, with references to Mary Kay jewelers, Mary Jane, getting married, merry go rounds, the nursery rhyme Mary Had A Little Lamb. The song's chorus utilizes this play on words to reveal that her mama is a materialistic woman who's obsessed with her jewelry, her brother smokes a little too much pot, and her father is having an affair with a neighbor named Mary.
"Merry Go Round" was met with universal critical acclaim. Rolling Stone named it the 49th best single of 2012, while it ranked #1 on Billboard's Top Country Songs of 2012. It was also included on NPR's 100 Favorite Songs of 2012 list. "Merry Go Round" is Musgraves's biggest hit and signature song, peaking at #10 on Country Airplay and #14 on Country Songs. In January 2014, "Merry Go Round" won the Grammy award for Best Country Song.
Follow Your Arrow
"Follow Your Arrow" served as the third single from Same Trailer Different Park due to widespread support from fans and journalists. Musgraves wrote the track with Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark. Lyrically, the song suggests that we as individuals should "follow our arrow" and make our own choices because we will be criticized no matter what we do. Much of the dialogue surrounding "Follow Your Arrow" concerns the song's pro-gay hook, where Kacey encourages us to "kiss lots of boys, or kiss lots of girls if that's what you're into." These lyrics have prompted the song to be labelled "progressive country" given the stereotypically conservative nature of country music. Conservative critics have also condemned the lyric "roll up a joint—or don't," which was notably censored during a performance at the 2013 CMAs.
"Follow Your Arrow" was named the #2 song of 2013 by Billboard and also ranked at #53 on Rolling Stone's Best 100 Songs of 2013. "Follow Your Arrow" peaked at #10 on Country Songs and #43 on Country Airplay. Although it failed to smash on country radio and failed to crossover to pop radio, "Follow Your Arrow" is likely Musgraves's most popular song.
High Score: 10 (Hunter_13, castle13, Blueberry Mary, downbywednesday, Sugar Rush, Ace Reject, Bloomers, Penk) Low Score: 6.5 (Rule The World)
