Lainey Wilson is uniquely capable of telling a story without telling a story, and her new single "Heart Like a Truck" affirms it.

"Things a Man Oughta Know," Wilson's first No. 1 hit as a solo artist, never spells out that she's hurting after a breakup, but at the chorus her tone more than suggests it. We imagine a man acting like a fool as he breaks her heart — maybe we even include a few details from our own history of love and heartbreak to fill up a canvas so beautifully framed. Details scroll out before us, even if she never gets specific.

She brings that same formula to "Heart Like a Truck," a second song that finds Wilson portraying a fragile optimism amid rejection. The mid-tempo vocal showcase doubles down on her natural ability to tell a story like she's living it. Her debut album Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' was praised for her range of emotions and ability to make every song seem both personal and universal. She and her team wisely changed nothing for V2.0.

That means producer Jay Joyce returns, and toward the end of the song you hear why he's a cut above of most producers in Nashville. He takes a bold risk in adding strings to the final chorus and bridge and asks Wilson to stand on her tiptoes and hold an 8-second high note that she'll no doubt wish wasn't there this summer as she performs on an often-dusty festival circuit. It's simply the kind of moment that arrests your attention and forces your head to the car stereo in awe.

Did You Know?: Wilson tells Taste of Country Nights "Heart Like a Truck" isn't just a song about relationships. Professional ups and downs fueled her songwriting.

Lainey Wilson's "Heart Like a Truck" Lyrics: 

I never stay in one place too long / The dirt road singing me a siren's song / I gotta find a field / I need to spin my wheels / I gotta a hankerin' for four wide tires / And I can't help it, it's the way I'm wired / Before you get too close / Boy you need to know.

Chorus:
I got a heart like a truck / It's drug through the mud / Runs on dreams and gasoline / And that old highway holds the key / It's got a lead foot down when it's leaving / Lord knows it's taken a hell of a beatin' / A little bit of love is all that it's needing / But it's as good as it is tough / I got a heart like a truck.

There ain't no breaking when I throw it in drive / Don't always keep it in between the lines / If you're a ready for a right / Pedal down state of mind boy I tell you what / You better buckle up.

Repeat Chorus

Bridge:
Go on and see if you can knock off the dust yeah / Shine it up, rev it up and let it run / It gets a high riding off into the sun yeah.

Repeat Chorus

Repeat Bridge

attachment-heart like a truck coveer
Broken Bow Records
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