“Gaslighter” by Dixie Chicks
To gaslight somebody means to manipulate or fool them into making them feel as though they’ve lost their mind. But the way the term is used in this song is more along the lines of the person this characteristic is ascribed to being a liar. And said individual would be the former romantic interest of the singer. The way the story of “Gaslighter” reads is that he was likewise part of the entertainment industry. And while (backed by the singer) his career was progressing, he proved to be unsatisfied and discontent.
Moreover she implies in the second verse that he mistreated her. And apparently, as alluded to in the third verse, her labeling him a “gaslighter” has something to do with the notion of him trying to put the blame for the deterioration of their relationship on her.
So basically, what we have with “Gaslighter” is the case of a lady who is upset that the man she fell in love with and assisted proved to be uncommitted and a generally-unsavory character, even in terms of their relationship with friends and coworkers.
Who is the “Gaslighter”?
Conclusively, it is safe to assume that whom the Dixie Chicks are actually referring to is an actor by the name of Adrian Pasdar. FYI, Pasdar and the group’s lead singer Natalie Maines were married for a good 16 years.
So why are we so sure that the “gaslighter” is actually Adrian? This is simply because of the fact that Natalie has publicly stated that the overall “Gaslighter” project is partially based on her divorce from Adrian.
Facts about “Gaslighter”
“Galighter” was released by Columbia Records on 4 March 2020. And with that it became the first track the Dixie Chicks have released as headliners since 2006. This extended hiatus was apparently the result of some serious beef the Chicks got into via their critical political stance in the past.
“Gaslighter” is also the title of the Dixie Chicks’ 2020 album, which this track is featured on.
The music video to this song employed Seanne Farmer as its director.
This track was written by Dixie Chicks’ members N. Maines, E. Strayer and M. Maguire. The trio wrote it in conjunction with its producer, hitmaker Jack Antonoff.
