“I probably wrote the verses. Jeff [Cohen – Ed] came in with something about, “I never needed to be the homecoming queen.” He brought it to me going, “I know you’re gonna love this song. This reminds me of you in some kind of way, you never needed to be this.” And I was like, “Not that I didn’t want to.” But this is about someone who is internally strong, who knows they’re different. So we started to switch it around – it was very mutual. But it became about me. His idea of this woman that didn’t need to be a homecoming queen became about me. And about me being different, and all the stuff about playing with the dolls and the GI Joe, that was me. And then Norma Jean, I have a fascination with Marilyn Monroe.”Laura Bell Bundy (258)

“I had written this poem for a guy I was seeing at the time. And we didn’t label our relationship. We didn’t call each other “boyfriend/girlfriend.” I was on the phone with my friend one day and I said, “Yeah, I’m out visiting my man toy.” He said, “I have never heard anybody call their significant other man toy. That is awesome.” So I started coming up with a poem, and I came up with “man toy, lover boy” all these things that I was saying instead of “boyfriend.” “Sweetheart that brings me joy, better half, sweetie pie, yes, I’m still seeing that same guy, no labels, or can I call you my boyfriend?” Well, “Boyfriend” is probably the most personal on the Shakin’. Definitely the most personal. The one that has the strongest memory. Because I rewrote the verses with him, with the man toy, loverboy, I was trying to figure out how to rework the song with him, so there’s even more memory of him being present.”Laura Bell Bundy (258)

“There’s two things with “Curse the Bed,” though. There’s two meanings for me. It’s the ending of a relationship, and what that bed signifies for me personally, but it reminds me of my parents and when they divorced more than it reminds me of my life. So when I sing it I’m almost thinking of them.”Laura Bell Bundy (258)

““When It All Goes South…” for me, every relationship I get into I fall in love and then I leave. I have to go somewhere. And I don’t mean I leave because I leave the relationship. I physically leave and move to a different town. Normally because of work. I dated a guy for 5 years. We started long distance, and at one point we were in California together, and then I moved to New York, and we were apart for a year, and then we broke up. And I dated someone in New York, and then I moved to Nashville, and then it all went south. I rode on an airplane leaving New York City, and I kept thinking, when it all goes south, like, the double meaning of it. I left and went south, and the relationship goes south. But it wasn’t like it’s gone south, it’s like it’s going to go. It was almost predicting it, and it’s almost beautiful, because it’s like “what goes up comes down, and you took my feet off the ground, over the moon, I’m seeing the stars all around. And no thanks to you, when I finally land it’ll be more than I can stand… When it all goes south.” So it’s like when it finally hits me, when I finally come down to reality, it’s going to be hard. “I’m going to cry my way through the clouds, I’ll try to spread my wings but they’ll be tied and bound.” I won’t be able to move, but it’s inevitable. It’s horribly sad.”Laura Bell Bundy (258)

““Between Me and You” is about my parents. And about the ending of a relationship, basically. When I sing it I get very emotional. “Between Me and You” is I’m making love to memories and pictures on the wall.”Laura Bell Bundy (258)

““Lovin’ and Lyin’” is about being in a relationship and falling for someone… else. And having to choose. And so you’re loving both and you’re lying to both. It’s happened to me so many times. But it’s not a cheating song. Maybe it is. It’s not a physical cheating song. It’s an emotionally cheating song. It’s emotionally caring about someone – two people at once. You know when you’re single and you’re dating people, and you’re not committed to anybody, but you’re kind of loving two people at once? It’s that. And it’s also having feelings for someone that you shouldn’t be, too.”Laura Bell Bundy (258)