Lee Ann Womack’s “The Way I’m Livin'” video starts out with a seemingly wholesome couple, dressed in Little House on the Prairie-worthy garb, taking a drive through the country. But just a few seconds in, we see the way they’re living is a lot more complicated than the Ingalls family.
“I did not want a literal storyline video,” says the acclaimed country singer of the clip, directed by Roger Pistole. (Watch it above.)
Instead, the story is up for interpretation. While Womack belts the defiant tune inside of an abandoned house on a cattle farm, the couple trade prairie for provocative, breaking into a feverish — and dangerous — dance.
“We joked about things you don’t hear at a Lee Ann Womack video shoot… like, ‘The snakes just got here.’ Only for this clip, the snakes really did just arrive!” says the singer of several reptiles that become a part of the choreography.
Just after Womack sings “If you see the devil comin’ your way/Get down on your knees and start to pray,” the video takes an unexpected turn that may indicate the devil has taken on a feminine form. Regardless, it leaves the viewer in the dark, perplexed by what caused the video stars to part ways.
“Getting people to talk about things, issues and what they believe is the best thing music can do,” Womack says. “I love that this video takes that concept and pushes it even farther. Life isn’t black and white; people’s reasons aren’t simple, nor are the reasons they fall. Roger got the exact thing I was trying to capture in the song — and man, did he find a great way to create a video that leaves you wondering, but also shows you a lot about the gray areas of life.”
The video makes its world television premiere Wednesday on CMT, and will also be featured on CMT Pure, CMT.com and the CMT Artists App.
“The Way I’m Livin'” is the first single off the Texas songbird’s forthcoming album of the same name. Due September 23rd, the 13-track collection is Womack’s first new LP in seven years.