A bold act of defiance against her father's rules resulted in one of Ashley McBryde's breakout songs. Her heartfelt song titled "Bible and a .44" gained widespread attention when she released it in 2016 as part of her EP, "Jalopies & Expensive Guitars." The song's inspiration draws from her upbringing in Arkansas.
Looking back on her childhood, McBryde revealed that her father was a preacher, and the presence of a gun and a bible was a constant in their lives. "He raised us that way — as mean as that sounds, and as sweet as that sounds, too," she shared with Billboard. Furthermore, her father owned a Martin D-35S guitar, which he strictly forbade her from playing until his passing.
However, seizing a moment of opportunity when her father wasn't around, she decided to ignore her father's rule and played the special guitar. It was in that act of rebellion that the words and melody of "Bible and a .44" poured out of her, marking a significant turning point in her musical journey. "I was at his house on his 70th birthday, and he wasn't home, and I knew where the guitar was. So, I pulled it out of the closet, and got it out of the case, and started writing 'A Bible And A .44,'" she recalled.
