Morgan Wallen has clearly had a lot he has wanted to say to his son. And as a musician, what better way to say it all than with a song?
“Been trying for a long time to write a song I loved to my son,” the country music singer wrote alongside a clip of the song “Superman” on Instagram. “None of them ever feel good enough because of how perfect I want something like this to be. And not saying this is perfect, but I am very proud of it.”
In the song, Wallen — who has been surrounded by controversies like his use of racial slurs and reported reckless endangerment at a bar that resulted in 7 days at a DUI Education Center, 2 years probation, fines, and court fees — speaks to his 4-year-old son Indigo “Indie” Wilder about those past wrongdoings.
“One day you’re gonna see my mugshot/From a night when I got a little too drunk,” he sings. “ … And when you ain’t a kid no more/I hope you don’t think less of me/I try to hide my falling short/But you’re gonna see.”
And it must be so painful for Wallen to know his son will see that picture. He will read about his dad’s drunken mistakes. The rose-colored glasses he likely wears for his dad — like most kids wear for their parents — will probably get tarnished. Yet, the “Thought You Should Know” singer is facing that reality head-on.
Wallen goes on to candidly talk about his struggles with alcohol, comparing the substance to Kryptonite. “That bottle,” he says, can bring “a man of steel down to his knees.”
“Don’t always know my wrongs from right/Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy,” he sings. “No I don’t always save the day/But you know for you I’ll alway try/I do the best I can/But Superman [is] still just a man sometimes.”
Wallen’s fellow country music stars were quick to show their support in the comments. “Appreciate the vulnerability in this one,” Josh Abbott Band commented. “Many a man have struggled to make it to fatherhood without struggles and mistakes. … Wondering if my children will be ashamed of my sins once they grow older is a thought I’ve had as well … “
Wallen welcomed Indie with ex Katie “KT” Smith in July 2020. The two split before their son was conceived, and Wallen spoke to People in 2021 about life as a single dad.
“[This] is not how I imagined parenthood,” he said. “I wanted to have a family like my parents [who are still together]. … That was my idea of what my life would look like. That’s not the way it turned out. And I struggled with that a little bit when I first found out.”
The “Whiskey Glasses” singer says he’s “thankful” to share Indie with someone he cares about.
“We’re doing our best to figure it out, just trying to do the best we can with the situation,” he said.
In an Instagram birth announcement, Wallen vowed to be the father Indie deserves and the co-parent Smith deserves. ” … Every decision I make will be with you in mind. I promise I’ll always protect you and do my best to be an example of a good, godly man just like my daddy was for me.”
