Shouldn't love be easy? That's the question Heather Morgan opens with on "Arms of a Lion," a song she co-wrote with Lori McKenna. The song explores what can happen when we put our trust in someone else. It's not often easy and sometimes our vulnerability leads to us getting hurt. Sooner or later, we'll get torn apart.
"I laid down in the arms of a lion/ my defenseless heart gave in without even tryin'," Morgan sings. "I just closed my eyes and I laid down in the arms of a lion."
The song, which features Lori McKenna on background vocals, is the latest release from Morgan's upcoming album Borrowed Heart. It was born out of a co-write at McKenna's Massachusetts home.
"To me, the song is definitely something that is rooted in learning from relationships and (being) too trusting sometimes of something or someone," Morgan said in a statement. "It also has another side to the coin for me. I think the 'Lion' in the song also represents the lie we buy into — whether it's fear or a narrative that tells us we aren't good enough or capable. I sometimes think of the 'Lion' as the music business and how the way it is is how it has to be. I laid down in the arms of a lion. I thought it was safe... thought I was protected...thought it was love. But it's a freakin' lion.... run."
Listen to "Arms of a Lion" below.
Read More: Lori McKenna on Songwriting, Storytelling and How Family Shaped Her New Album 'The Tree'
Morgan, who's written songs for Brett Eldredge, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney and more, recently released the songs "Your Hurricane" and "A Hundred Miles." Her debut album Borrowed Heart is out on Oct. 5.