Maren Morris continues to straddle the perpetually withering line between pop and country music. Her hit single, “The Bones” has now held the top spot on Billboard’s Country Music chart for 14 straight weeks.
That “The Bones” has maintained such chart-topping dominance is a testament to Morris’ commanding influence within multiple genres—and, likely, to the uplifting message about commitment that it delivers. This country-pop single traces the foundation of a relationship as its couple stands the test of hard times and difficulties.
Through it all, Morris sings confidently of her faithful love, perseverance and commitment, which are powerful themes in a landscape too often devoid of such virtues.
As an ode to and appreciation of Morris’ marriage to singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd, the song imagines the duo’s relationship as a home. Its foundation is their mutual love and desire to push past life’s difficulties and storms. The chorus rings, “Let it rain ’cause you and I remain the same/ When there ain’t a crack in the foundation.”
Morris continues to build upon that house metaphor by singing, “Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter.” She dares life to try and destroy the relationship they’ve built. And she’s convinced that “when the bones are good, the rest don’t matter” because “the house don’t fall when the bones are good.”
While Morris is silent about what exactly makes her marriage’s bones good, the necessary ingredients seem to be perseverance and trust. Her confidence resounds with the declaration, “Yeah, life can try to put love through it, but/We built this right, so nothing’s ever gonna move it.”
The accompanying music video shows little sign of the storms Morris refers to, instead opting for quick cuts of tropical greenery and a sandy shore rendezvous.
The camera follows the couple through an intimate vacation day replete with beachside lounging and rock-climbing picnics. Morris is featured with her husband, Hurd, throughout the video, and the two never seem to detach through the entire runtime. Morris, clad in a bikini top, and Hurd, shirtless, kiss and caress each other for the video’s entirety. Her lyrics achieve a whimsical tone set against the Hawaiian landscape. And the song’s honesty in lines such as, “No, it don’t always go the way we planned it/But the wolves came and went and we’re still standing” make their bond all the more appealing. “The Bones” delivers an encouraging portrait of a successful relationship built on trust and commitment unafraid of its past, present or future.
