In a video on Instagram, Tim McGraw revealed he struggles to play his recent No. 1 single, “I Called Mama,” without crying. He tried playing it for wife Faith Hill. But the lyrics kept moving him to tears.
McGraw discussed listening to the work tape demo of the song and falling in love with it. He commented on the themes of the song during the Instagram video.
“‘I Called Mama’ is just about life and getting phone calls. As you progress through life and things happen, you lose friends,” McGraw said. “As you get older, it really hits you. This song just talks about getting a phone call and finding out something had happened to a friend of his. And then reflecting on life and reflecting on where you are at in life. What’s important to you, what’s not important to you.”
McGraw said the song comments on the powerful relationship between boys and their mothers, something that spoke to him.
“Ultimately the first person you want to reach to and the person who makes you feel the most secure out of anybody is your mom,” McGraw continued. “For me anyway and for most people, I think. Especially guys and their mamas. It’s something that really spoke to me.”
Tim McGraw Teared up When playing the Song
As soon as McGraw heard the demo, he knew he had to play it for Faith. He didn’t even want his wife to listen to the demo before he learned the first verse and chorus.
“I wanted to learn the first verse and chorus so I could play it for her,” McGraw said. He even started to get watery-eyed thinking about it. “I’ll be d–ned if I didn’t play it for her, and I could never get through it. I would just fall apart when I got to ‘I called mama.’ I’m doing it now. ‘I called mama’ and it just does it to me every time I hear it.”
