Keith Urban asked his fans to avoid overanalyzing the lyric changes he made during his live performances, as he tours amidst his divorce from Nicole Kidman. On October 17, during the final show of his High and Alive World Tour at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Urban prefaced his rendition of “You’ll Think of Me” with a direct message to the audience about the altered lyrics.
Explaining the Variations in His Song Lyrics Live
Before performing the 2002 hit, Urban told the crowd,
“I’ve been covering like this for a long time. Stop reading s— into it. It’s called ‘You’ll Think of Me.’”
This statement was captured in a video shared by a concert attendee on TikTok. During the show, Urban intensified the emotional tone of the song by changing the original lyric, “But you’ll think of me,” to
“But I betcha think about me!”
He also replaced
“take your space and take your reasons”
with a more charged version: “all your bulls— reasons.”
The crowd’s reaction indicated they were attentive to these changes, although Urban requested they not overinterpret the meaning behind them.
Earlier Lyric Alterations Draw Public and Media Attention
These live lyric changes come shortly after Nicole Kidman filed for divorce from Urban on September 30, ending their 19-year marriage. Not long before that, Urban had modified lyrics in his 2016 song “The Fighter,” a track inspired by his relationship with Kidman. In a performance with country artist Maggie Baugh, Urban swapped original lines for a personalized touch, turning
“when they’re tryna get to you, baby I’ll be the fighter”
into
“when they’re tryna get to you, Maggie I’ll be your guitar player.”
Baugh shared this moment on social media with shocked and mind-blown emojis, captioning the clip “Did he just say that,” along with eyes emojis.
Context Around Urban and Kidman’s Separation
The separation between Urban and Kidman came to light on September 29, just one day before Kidman officially filed for divorce. The couple, who married in June 2006, share two daughters, Sunday, 17, and Faith, 14. Sources close to the couple revealed that the split had been anticipated, with reports indicating that the two had been living separately for some time. According to TMZ, Urban’s inner circle believed he had already begun dating another woman, while a source told PEOPLE the separation was “kind of inevitable.”
What These Changes Mean in the Larger Picture
Urban’s request to fans to avoid reading too much into his lyric changes highlights the tension and unease surrounding his personal life, as fans and media connect his performances to his divorce. Despite speculation, he emphasized that these modifications are a longtime habit and not necessarily reflective of his current circumstances. As the High and Alive World Tour concludes, Urban’s approach suggests his focus remains on delivering passionate performances rather than addressing personal matters in his lyrics directly.
