I’m not objective about “Dear Hate” by Maren Morris because she’s Country, and I love Country, and I hope you don’t disregard this message because you don’t like that format—the DELIVERY is Country but the MESSAGE is universal. Remember Jackie DeShannon’s 1965 hit “What the World Needs Now?” So lyrical and relatable that even people who thought the song was sappy were singing it.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No not just for some but for everyone.
“What The World Needs Now” was a hit amidst racial strife, the early days of the Vietnam War and the then recent assassination of JFK. It helped us through.
“Dear Hate’s” emotional, powerful lyrics are also healing, with universal appeal…
You were there in the garden, like a snake in the grass
I see you in the morning staring through the looking glass
You whisper down through history and echo through these halls
But I hate to tell you, love’s gonna conquer all
Perhaps this song can help the nation heal after the Las Vegas tragedy (recall that was a Country music concert.)
The song’s non plus ultra moment is when the great Vince Gill joins in. My eyes rolled back in my head. It couldn’t get any better. And isn’t that what we music fans seek, a great song that rings true, done well, regardless of format?
The music industry has awarded Maren Morris’ talent. In 2016 she won both the Grammy and the Country Music Association award for “Best New Artist.”
Boomer Music Update readers got an early heads up — we were screaming the praises of then new and unknown Maren Morris and her “My Church” in Jan 2016, a song which turned heads and launched her career, culminating in those industry awards. https://boomermusicupdate.com/country/traditional-county-updated/