“Mountain With a View” by Kelsea Ballerini

“Mountain With a View” is the lead song on the six track EP Kelsea Ballerini came out with on Valentine’s Day, 2023 titled “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat”. This project, which is supported by Black River Entertainment, comes complete with an accompanying visual album, i.e. a short film that is 20 minutes in length. The entire outing was inspired by the unfortunate fact that a few months prior Kelsea and her husband of five years, fellow industry singer Morgan Evans, divorced.

The songstress went on to describe “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” as the most “open” and “bold” she has ever been as an artist. Or as she put it, since her youth she has been ‘handling her life’ through song. In fact she began songwriting, ironically enough, as a way of coping with her parents’ divorcing. 

But that said, it has also been ascertained that at least in part, in “Mountain With a View” she is directly responding to a song Evans has dropped previously concerning their divorce called “Over for You” (2022).

To note, Kelsea wrote this song on her own and also produced it. However, she didn’t accomplish the latter task alone. She did so alongside Alysa Vanderheym.

KELSEA BALLERINI, THE VICTIM OF AN UNREQUITED LOVE?

The intro and first verse of this song do imply, simply explained, that Morgan neglected Kelsea. With Evans being the intended addressee, initially he is depicted as someone who, most euphemistically interpreted, didn’t realize that his absence was negatively affecting his wife. 

So there he was, doing it for the ‘Gram way over in Europe. Meanwhile his wife is in California, in her feelings as she has basically become convinced that he doesn’t care anymore.

Indeed, the chorus goes on to indicate that at times, Morgan would even venture out into the world without wearing his wedding ring, while Kelsea faithfully kept hers on. And to make a long story short, she became convinced that he had fallen out of love with her. Or explained more comprehensively, this reads like a case of the addressee losing interest in the vocalist as she aged or as time progressed.

When they first hooked up, as noted in the lyrics, Kelsea was 23 years old (though technically, when they started dating in early 2016, she was 22). Meanwhile, as of this track’s dropping she is 29. That’s not a major age difference, and truthfully, the lyrics never specify that the addressee’s developed lack of interest was due to the vocalist growing older per se. But in any event, as inferred, somewhere along the line he became disinterred.

THE VOCALIST DECIDES TO DIVORCE

Based on the nature of the second verse and bridge of this song, as well as statements Kelsea made when she and Morgan divorced, it can be ascertained that it was she who actually initiated the process. Her rationale, as revealed in this track, is that she was no longer privy to enduring what was akin to a lonely, loveless marriage. So she has decided to “cut… ties” with her lover in the name of ‘setting herself free’.

The final chorus, which features different wording from the previous ones, does indicate that from an emotional perspective this was not an easy thing for her to do. But that said, even after becoming aware of her intent to leave the marriage apparently, Morgan still failed to ‘take that last flight to see her’. 

Or put otherwise, even though he too, as implied, had some type of adverse-emotional response, it wasn’t convincing enough to make Kelsea believe that he actually wanted their marriage to continue.

SONG’S TITLE (“MOUNTAIN WITH A VIEW”)

Relatedly, the title of the song alludes to the vocalist, while going through this ordeal, basically being on her own in a mountainous part of California known as Big Sur. So it’s as if from beginning to end, still the addressee has not managed to show up.

“MOUNTAIN WITH A VIEW”, A SAD SONG, HONESTLY

Concerning the entire “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” project, Ballerini has stated that her goal was “presenting the songs as honestly as possible”.  And whereas there may be a metaphor or implication present here and there, these lyrics do read as if they are for the most part literal.

Even though Kelsea may have officially initiated her divorce from Morgan, this is a sad song nonetheless. It is one in which she basically comes off as being the victim of an unrequited love over a prolonged period of time. 

It is unfortunate that the power couple which was Evans and Ballerini did not last. But what tore them apart, as relayed in this track, is what can be deemed a common marriage problem, i.e. one spouse being visibly less committed to the union than the other.

“I’m wearin’ the ring still, but I think I’m lyin’
Sometimes you forget yours, I think we’re done tryin’
I realize you loved me much more at twenty-three
I think that this is when it’s over for me”