Meaning of “The Painter” by Cody Johnson
Cody Johnson has been a professionally-active musician since the mid-aughts and really hit his stride circa the late-2010s, whereas for instance his seventh album, 2019’s “Ain’t Nothin’ to It”, was Johnson’s first to make it to the summit of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
As it currently stands he and Warner Music Nashville are working towards the release of the singer’s ninth LP, a 24-track deluxe outing titled “Leather”, with its lead single, “The Painter”, being released on 11 August 2023.
Cody didn’t compose this tune. It was written by the following writers:
- Ryan Larkins
- Kat Higgins
- Benjy Davis
Its producer being Trent Willmon.
“The Painter”
In talking about “The Painter”, Cody Johnson has implied that it is meant to encourage listeners “to take the time to appreciate the people they have around them”. But he more notably went on to clarify that the way he interprets the song’s lyrics are as alluding to his wife, Brandi, whom Cody now been married to for 15 years (and who’s also present alongside him on the single’s cover art).
And this is indeed a relatively straightforward love song, with the subject being that special female in the vocalist’s life, even though the lyrics are devoid of any directly-romantic lingo.
So what we, the audience, are met with are quite a few tender musings pointing to how the subject has edified the narrator’s existence.
And the reason the song is titled “the painter” is because it operates along a poetic motif of illustrating how Brandi has brought color into Cody’s life. Or as Johnson further explained in his own words, he’s a pretty conventional who sees the world as “just… black-and-white… most of the time”.
So his lady compliments him, which is basically the thesis sentient of the lyrics, i.e. the singer coming to depend on his significant other for upliftment at times he’s feeling dull or defeated, as well as she having a permanent positive impact on his life.
