This song is a violent tale of backwoods justice delivered by a mysterious stranger who helps a woman in need. It falls into a timeless tradition of murder ballads.

“Wait in the Truck” is the result of a collaboration between Lainey Wilson and HARDY. Wilson is a featured artist on the track, giving voice to the abused woman in the story. Jordan Schmidt and Renee Blair were also contributing songwriters.

It’s an entirely imagined and fictional account, but it may feel like it’s pulled straight out of today’s headlines. The experiences described are unfortunately familiar to many, and this song intends to give voice to these unsung masses.

A “What if…?” Conversation Turned Songwriting Inspiration

What started as a hypothetical conversation between HARDY and fellow musician and songwriter, Hunter Phelps, turned into the inspiration for this song. In an interview with Billboard, HARDY said they were imagining a situation where someone threatened their partner, trying to predict what they would do if such an unthinkable thing were to happen.

HARDY’s solution would be to find out from his significant other where her attacker was, and then he would say, “Wait in the truck.” HARDY and Phelps shared a laugh together before realizing that this would make the perfect title for a new song.

A Difficult But Important Story to Tell

In an interview with The Tennessean, Lainey Wilson said, “The topic isn’t talked about a lot; these are things that happen behind closed doors. This one is going to start a conversation that a lot of people don’t want to have, but it is our job as artists to sing about things that people are scared to talk about.”

She also said, “Domestic abuse is a fragile subject, but I hope this song brings light to a situation that is more common than we’d like to admit. For the abusers, I hope this song haunts them. For the victims, I hope they know they’re not alone.”

HARDY is proud of the work he did on the song, saying, “It speaks on something very important, domestic violence. At the end of the day I just really hope that this gives somebody a platform to speak out.”

A Modern Murder Ballad

“Wait in the Truck” tells the story of a man who’s traveling, passing through some small town after getting lost. By chance, he happens upon a young woman in a desperate situation. He asks her to get into his truck, and she does. He sees the physical abuse she’s suffered, and instead of interrogating her, the only question he has is the location of her abuser.

When Lainey Wilson takes over, she ponders the angelic nature of her rescuer despite his violent actions:

“I don’t know if he’s an angel / ‘Cause angels don’t do what he did / He was hellbent to find the man behind / All the whiskey scars I hid”

The “whiskey scars” she mentions are the wounds she has suffered while at the hands of a drunken abuser.

“I never thought my day of justice / Would come from a Judge under his seat”

The “judge” she’s referring to is a Taurus Judge revolver, concealed beneath the male singer’s seat. It’s a play on the fact that he’s bypassing the legal system by taking matters into his own hands.

“I let the hammer drop before he got / To that 12 he was reachin’ for”

These lines contain two more firearm references. He’s talking about the hammer of his gun, which is the part that strikes the bullet cap, while also saying that he’s going to show this man he means business.

As the male narrator arrives at the attacker’s house and kicks down the door, he shoots him, presumably dead. The man had attempted to grab his 12-gauge shotgun in self-defense, but he wasn’t fast enough. HARDY’s character remains at the scene while smoking the dead man’s cigarettes, ready to explain the whole story to the authorities.

Lyrics

I got turned around in some little town
I’d never been to before
Working my way through a middle-of-June
Midnight thunderstorm

There was something in the headlights
It stopped me on a dime
Well, she was scared to death, so I said
“Climb in, ” and then she climbed
Oh, yeah

Well, she was bruised and broke from head to toe
With a tear in her blood-stained shirt
She didn’t tell the whole truth, but she didn’t have to
I knew what had happened to her

I didn’t load her down with questions
That girl had been through enough
I just threw it in drive, looked in those eyes
And I asked her where he was

I don’t know if he’s an angel
‘Cause angels don’t do what he did
He was hellbent to find the man behind
All the whiskey scars I hid

I never thought my day of justice
Would come from a judge under a seat
But I knew right then I’d never get hit again
When he said to me

“Wait in the truck
Just wait in the truck”

Well, I knocked and knocked and no one came
So I kicked in his double-wide door
I let the hammer drop before he got
To that 12 he was reaching for

I didn’t try to hide my pistol
I didn’t even try to run
I just sat on the porch, smoking one of his cigarettes
And waited for the cops to come

I don’t know if he’s an angel
‘Cause angels don’t do what he did
He was hellbent to find the man behind
All the whiskey scars I hid

I never thought my day of justice
Would come from a judge under a seat
But I knew right then I’d never get hit again
When he said to me

“Wait in the truck
Just wait in the truck”
Whoa (whoa)
Have mercy on me, Lord
Have mercy on me
Have mercy on me (hey), Lord

It’s been 60 months and she still comes
To see me from time to time
It was worth the price, to see a brighter side
Of the girl I picked up that night

And I might be here forever
It ain’t paradise, that’s true
But it’s whole hell of a lot better
Than the place I sent him to, yeah

Wait in the truck (have mercy on me)
Just wait in the truck
(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me)
Wait in the truck (Lord, have mercy)
Just wait in the truck

have mercy on me, Lord
Have mercy on me
(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me) have mercy on me, Lord
Have mercy on me
(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me) wait in the truck
Just wait in the truck
(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me) wait in the truck
Just wait in the truck (please have me mercy)

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jordan Schmidt / Michael Hardy / Renee Blair / Hunter Phelps

wait in the truck lyrics © Sony/atv Tree Publishing, Sony/atv Accent, Relative Music Group, Nontypical Music, Rednecker Music, Pile Of Schmidt Songs, The Money Tree Vibez, Humerus Publishing Global, Round Hill Verses Publishing, Fbrl Nashville Songs Llc