Amanda Shires Admits She Changed The Lyrics To “Stupid Love” To Reference Jason Isbell’s “Crooked Teeth” While Opening For Her Ex-Husband

A not-so-subtle reference to her ex-husband.

Jason Isbell fans were shook last February when it was revealed that the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter had filed for divorce from his wife, fellow singer/songwriter, 400 Unit band member and frequent collaborator, Amanda Shires, after nearly 11 years of marriage.

The two singers were married in February of 2013 following Isbell’s decision to get sober and stint in rehab the previous year. The two were married shortly after Isbell finished recording his Southeastern album, on which Shires accompanies Isbell with vocals and fiddle. The lead track, and perhaps Isbell’s most famous song, “Cover Me Up,” is a deeply personal love song written by Isbell to his wife, as Isbell credited Shires with convincing him to go to rehab and sober up, after he confessed to her that he needed help with his addiction. The song was later covered by Morgan Wallen.

In addition to being a member of The Highwomen, Shires had been featured on every album Isbell has released over the last decade, including his album Weathervanes in 2023. She had also toured extensively with her husband…and even performed some shows with him after their divorce was made public.

Despite being separated from her husband, Shires opened for Isbell at Red Rocks in May of 2024. The shows had obviously been announced before their divorce had been been public, and when asked recently by Rolling Stone on their Nashville Now podcast why she went through with them, Shires says it was simply about honoring her commitments:

“They were booked early on and confirmed and the deals were inked as they say, and because I always do what I say I’m going to do. Always.”

Now, some might be tempted to read into that “always do what I say I’m going to do” as being a subtle jab at her ex-husband. But during the show Red Rocks, fans noticed another not-so-subtle reference to Isbell…and his dental work.

In late 2023, fans quickly noticed that Isbell was sporting a new smile after having extensive dental repairs done to fix his teeth. And during her performance of “Stupid Love” at Red Rocks, Shires referenced his “crooked teeth,” changing the words from “you were smiling so much you kissed me with your teeth” to “you were smiling so much you kissed me with your crooked teeth.”

Naturally, fans quickly noticed, and there were quite a few headlines and tweets at the time about Shires appearing to take a jab at Isbell and his dental work. But according to Shires, it was blown out of proportion – and was simply a reference to the time they were together:

“Some of the things I said on that first show were kind of taken out of context. And Jason was there, and he knew what I said and how things came across, they got sensationalized…

All I was doing there – they thought I was making fun of him. But what I was doing there was trying to make like a separation. I never kissed the new teeth. I kissed the old teeth. But I was there to help him with all that nursing part of it.”

Shires says she wasn’t bothered by those who “sensationalized” the lyric change, because as she says, any press is good press. But for everybody who picked up on the subtle change, as it turns out, you were on the right track.

@rollingstone

A few months after songwriter #JasonIsbell filed for divorce, #AmandaShires opened a show for her now ex-husband in Colorado. She says reports about her changing a lyric to her song #StupidLove that night were overblown. #countrymusic #nashvillenow

♬ original sound – Rolling Stone

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