"This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride became an anthem for young women at its release in 2003. The song, written by Chris Lindsey, Hillary Lindsey and Aimee Mayo, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In an interview with Billboard Magazine in 2017, McBride said the song was an "immediate no-brainer" to record. She continued, "I loved the fact that it was up-tempo and fun, but it also had something to say. It felt like such a positive message, and it's still one of my favorite songs to do live. It's like a shot of energy that goes through the crowd."
The tune addresses girls from one to 99, sending the empowering message that girls can do whatever they put their mind to, and nothing should hold them back from being themselves.
McBride's daughters, Delaney and Emma, sang background vocals alongside fellow country singers Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Faith Hill and co-writers Lindsey and Mayo.
'This One's For the Girls' Lyrics:
This is for all you girls about thirteen,
High school can be so rough can be so mean,
Hold on to on to your innocence,
Stand your ground when everybody's givin' in.
This one's for the girls
This is for all you girls about twenty-five,
In little apartments just tryin' to get by,
Livin' on on dreams and spaghetti-o's,
Wonderin' where your life is gonna go.
This one's for the girls,
Who've ever had a broken heart,
Who've wished upon a shooting star,
You're beautiful the way you are,
This one's for the girls,
Who love without holdin' back,
Who dream with everything they have,
All around the world,
This one's for the girls.
This is for all you girls about forty two,
Tossin' pennies into the fountain of youth,
Every laugh line on your face,
Made you who you are today.
This one's for the girls,
Who've ever had a broken heart,
Who've wished upon a shooting star,
You're beautiful the way you are,
This one's for the girls,
Who love without holdin' back,
Who dream with everything they have,
All around the world,
This one's for the girls.
Yeah we're all the same inside,
From one to ninety-nine
