Why do we do what we do?

The “hierarchy of needs” theory articulates the levers of human motivation. Moving from the pyramid base upward, they change from deficiency needs (a means to an end) to growth ones (psychological in nature). Self-actualization – achieving one’s full potential – is at the top.

Though self-actualization may be rare, it is a worthy goal. But what does it look like? Think about it as being uniquely open – to change; to having regrets and living in a way that reduces the need to have them; to being vulnerable; to making difficult decisions, with clarity; to accepting your own and others’ flaws; to looking beyond worldly possessions; to feeling fulfilled, whether you’re standing at the top of a mountain or your whole house burns to the ground.

I share these ruminations about self-actualization because that idea is at the center of Kacey Musgraves’s outstanding latest release, Deeper Well. Across the album, we see her wrangling with her journey, imparting well-earned wisdom through lyrics that flow like water from a faucet. Although the instrumental music throughout Deeper Well is beautiful, it serves as a backdrop for Musgraves to deliver existential meditations in everyman’s terms with her ethereal voice.

From a pure songwriting standpoint, this is her best album yet. I’ve chosen to look at a handful of standout songs from Deeper Well that speak to its core.

“Deeper Well”

In the title track, Musgraves shows us her path toward self-actualization, which is what finding a “deeper well” is all about. From growing up in a “world that was as flat as a plate” to tossing her gravity bong, she walks us through the decisions she’s made – like “sayin’ goodbye to the people that I feel are real good at wastin’ my time” – in service of setting boundaries so she could focus on taking care of herself.

In the second turn of the bridge, which uses the same chord pattern as the first turn with different lyrics, she sings:

So I’m gettin’ rid of the habits that I feel

Are real good at wastin’ my time

No regrets, baby, I just think that maybe

It’s natural when things lose their shine

So other things can glow

I’ve gotten older now, I know

How to take care of myself

I found a deeper well

Wielding a hallmark of her songwriting approach, she uses idiomatic phrases like “it’s natural when things lose their shine” to penetrate the collective unconsciousness and unlock our shared understanding of the phrase. But then, she creates an entirely new meaning as she heads into the next line: “So other things can glow.” She’s telling us: even when it’s challenging to do so, letting go of what no longer serves you is the best decision you can make and helps you see all the other parts of your life more clearly.

“Sway”

I love how Musgraves positions this song “Sway” – a metaphor for resilience – because it’s about her journey toward discovery with help from others, and her willingness to grow.

In the chorus, she sings:

Maybe one day

I’ll learn how to sway

Like a palm tree in the wind

I won’t break, I’ll just bend

And I’ll sway

I’ll sway

We’ve long seen her use metaphor to make her point. Going back to her debut, Same Trailer, Different Park, her award-winning song, “Merry Go ‘Round,” deftly paints a picture of a specific socioeconomic place, weaving a story of the well-worn cycle of poor choices and poverty, in the same way a child spins around a playground structure every American knows.

“Dinner with Friends”

Here is a songwriter contending with the things – which aren’t possessions at all – she’d miss once she dies. The list includes “the face that somebody makes when you give ‘em a gift,” “the feeling you feel when you’re looking at something you made,” and “my home state of Texas, the sky there, the horses and dogs, but none of their laws.” It is an evolved, developed self who can create this inventory of moments shared, concepts, and ideals and count them – and nothing more – as the “the things I would miss from the other side.” Musgraves’s peerless ability to transform complex ideas into everyday language is on full display in these lyrics.

“The Architect”

I could probably write an entire post about this song because it’s one of the most brilliant I’ve ever heard. Musgraves asks: Do we have control over our own destiny? In the hands of another songwriter – and they’ve tried – the intent may come across as admirable but fall short of effective. With Musgraves taking on one of mankind’s greatest questions through another metaphor no less, the results are extraordinary. “The architect” may be the universe, a god, fate, something else aligned to your personal beliefs. Could it even be you? No matter who you are, you’ve pondered this question at least once in your life, demonstrating Musgraves’s ability to reach a broad part of the population with her songwriting approach.

It’s challenging to excerpt one section of this song to represent its genius, but here we go:

I thought that I was too broken

And maybe too hard to love

I was in a weird place, then I saw the right face

And the stars and the planets lined up

Does it happen by chance, is it all happenstance?

Do we have any say in this mess?

Is it too late to make some more space?

Can I speak to the architect?

This life that we make, is it random or fate?

Can I speak to the architect?

Is there an architect?

In the stanza above, we see a person grappling with a hard question about herself: Can I ever be loved? It may be the “face” she saw wasn’t a new lover’s, but rather her own – of someone with self-esteem, fulfillment, and resilience. The last turn of the chorus illustrates once again her ability to distill down colossal topics into clear, accessible language set to perfect meter and rhyme for anyone to relate to.

“Nothing to Be Scared Of”

That fear in the back of your head: Am I asking for too much of this person? Do they have anything to want or give? This song addresses the idea of vulnerability head on – something that is “nothing to be scared of” from Musgraves’s point of view. In the first stanza, I love her use of “I’ve got my own patterns / Maybe I can stop them,” which demonstrates the continuous reflection and difficult work she’s done to interrupt those irresistible, creature-comfort habits that can dictate the direction of your life.

In the first turn of the chorus she sings:

Come to me and drop your bags

And I’ll help you unpack them

You’re the only one I want to give my love

There’s nothing to be scared of

Master of the metaphor yet again, she uses “your bags” to convey our common understanding of “emotional baggage” – the good, bad, and ugly of our lives that we must bring to our relationships with others, often reluctantly. Here we see her meeting her lover where they are so they can “unpack them” together and share their own unvarnished truths with one another, however jagged around the corners. In the second turn of the chorus, she talks about her own bags, an important revelation signaling her investment in and the perceived importance of working on herself.

A final observation: On all of Musgraves’s prior albums, she’d sing the first turn of the chorus one way (perhaps as written) and then vary the note progression the next time it comes around. This tactic is prominent on Golden Hour. Just a little going up instead of going down – very subtle but keeps the listener engaged. On Deeper Well, the variation across the chorus is often in the lyrics themselves while her delivery of the notes remains constant. Given that her songwriting (with her voice as the medium) is the central driving force of the album, this particular approach makes perfect sense to me.

Every few years, I get an itch and ask no one in particular, “When is Kacey Musgraves going to come out with a new album?” While I’ll be playing Deeper Well on repeat for the foreseeable future (let’s say until April 19, 2024), I’m already excited to hear what she does next. In my opinion, she may be one of the greatest living songwriters. Throughout her oeuvre, she’s demonstrated that she can bring her unique approach to any subject matter, ranging from nosy neighbors in trailer parks to learning how to evolve while also giving yourself grace.