Mitchell Tenpenny’s Most Honest Song Yet: The Story Behind ‘Truth About You’

If you’ve ever gone through a breakup that’s not amicable, Mitchell Tenpenny’s “Truth About You” is probably already on your playlist. This breakup anthem doesn’t just air dirty laundry; it hangs it out for everyone to see. The song climbed all the way to No. 1 on country radio, proving that honesty and a snide song about an ex really do go a long way.  

But what is it about “Truth About You” that makes it so relatable? Let’s break down these lyrics that honestly portray the two sides of a breakup.   

Co-written with Matt Alderman and Thomas Archer, the songwriting team drew from personal experiences as well as firsthand stories from friends who'd been through similar relationship problems. Tenpenny described the songwriting session as organic and said the song “just kinda fell out” after he heard the title. He added, “I know how to write this song. I've lived this song."  

The song reflects experiences with an ex-girlfriend as well as friends who have gone through the same bad breakup.

The central emotional theme in “Truth About You” is that there are two sides to every breakup: the truth and the lie. This is particularly obvious in the second verse: “Yeah, you told your friends, you told your mama / That I'm the root of all the drama / But we both know why this ended / Girl, I caught you red-handed.”   

The chorus highlights the importance of accountability, showing the singer’s conflicting emotions of not wanting to clear his name because of an ex-partner's accusations: “Yeah, there's two sides to every breakup / One's a lie and one's the truth / One of 'em went down and one was made up / But in the end, we both lose / Why can't we meet in the middle? / Call it even, call a truce / If you quit tellin' lies about me / Well, I won't tell the truth about you.”  

The track is well-received because it does not shy away from depicting how people spin stories after a breakup to show they weren’t to blame. It also addresses common relationship issues, including emotional manipulation, betrayal, and escalating drama to cover up fault.   

“Truth About You” showcases Tenpenny’s evolution as a songwriter. The song’s success positioned him as a storyteller who is willing to sing about complex emotional situations without sugarcoating them. The song’s themes of accountability and telling the truth reflect country music’s foundation of focusing on tracks that are authentic and tell of genuine human experiences that have a lasting impact not just on the listeners, but on the artists as well.