Keith Urban Changes Lyrics Inspired by His Romance with Nicole Kidman, References Another Woman Onstage
It was intended to be a love ballad, a pledge, a promise, a musical homage to a Disney classic. Rather, the very love story it was supposed to honor has been called into question by a startling turn of events that the country music singer made on stage.
In a move that has left fans in shock, country music artist Keith Urban sparked controversy by adding another woman’s name in an odd and startling twist to the lyrics of his classic song “The Fighter,” which was famously penned for his wife, Nicole Kidman.
Onstage, a Love Song Is Torn Apart
Country music performer Maggie Baugh posted the change on Instagram. “The Fighter” was initially written as a very personal ode to Kidman, but it was long believed to be an emotional promise made by the singer to his wife.
“When they’re trying to get to you,” was the original line sung. “When they try to get to you, Maggie, I’ll be your guitar player,” abruptly and unexpectedly replaced the phrase “Baby, I’ll be the fighter.”
The switch sparked widespread suspicion in addition to confusing fans.
Urban has consistently acknowledged that the song reflects his relationship with Kidman, even telling fans in 2018:
She enjoyed it, and it was really simple to write because it was inspired by actual talks Nick and I had prior to our marriage, some of her anxieties about it, and my desire to be able to make promises to her that I knew I could fulfill. Just give me a chance, you know; you need that chance.”
He went a step further, “In a lot of ways, the song feels like vows, you know, they’re really, ‘oh this is what I promise I’ll be and do, and I’ll take care of you and keep the world away,’ and it was very easy to write from that perspective.”
Kidman’s Sobs And The Promise’s Ghost
Kidman once acknowledged the song’s strong emotional hold on her. “I remember when he first played it for me,” she remarked during her speech at the 2017 ACM Awards. I started crying […] He enjoys these things, and I’m not sure where they come from. They make lovely presents. The album’s current level of success is astounding. The journey has been a very long one.
Urban’s lyric change caused a tidal wave of anger and heartache to ripple through social media, which is understandable.
Online “Homewrecker” Claims and Fan Fury
Hundreds of people expressed shock and outrage when the Instagram video went viral. “Okay, dumping Nicole is looking more suspect,” someone commented. “@a_sweet_life_always most definitely,” another person added. After he expelled other longtime band members, she joined the group a year ago. “Definitely suspect [sic].”
As soon as things became ugly, one internet user said, “@sherylash It is so clear that she took him away from Nicole. I feel terrible for Nicole. When the celebration is finished and he sees [sic] the elegant woman he is losing, he will also dump her.
With terrible bluntness, another was added: “@tracyahooper So, he slaps Nicole in the face by altering the lyrics of a song he made for her to include the other woman, and then he goes and sleeps with his guitar player?” “You broke up Keith Urban and Nicole,” a distraught admirer wrote. “Homewrecker 😜😄.”
Some believed this to be a classic example of a midlife crisis playing out in real time. “@calisun123 Yes, he is going through a midlife crisis. He moved on to the trashy after ditching the classy, and he will eventually move on once more. Being single is unbearable for this type of guy. One commenter said, “And he’s looking more and more like his ego and macho-ness is in jeopardy [sic] 🙄🙄🙄.”
A Song Designed to Protect Her from the Outside World
Although Urban has not yet confronted the storm directly, his previous remarks have only made it more painful. “It’s a song about protecting the one you love, so they don’t have to take the blows of the world, and can stay pure,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2017. Every day, I make an effort to do that for my wife.
Behind Closed Doors: The Ideal Marriage Is Fragments
Just as rifts in Urban and Kidman’s marriage were made public, the dispute broke out. According to a source who spoke exclusively to People, the singer has been going through a difficult time.
“He has been making questionable choices for some time now and this was not the case of them just drifting apart [sic],” stated a source.
An insider revealed in another exclusive that Kidman battled valiantly to save what was left, saying, “She didn’t want this. She has fought to keep the marriage intact. The actress’s sister and the rest of the family have been supporting her, the insider added.
The worst is confirmed by legal documents that TMZ was able to obtain: Kidman is divorcing her husband. She stated “irreconcilable differences” and wants to continue being their minor children’s primary residential parent. Spousal and child support have been waived by both parties, and each will keep their own property.
Fans are still split today, with some rejecting the lyrical shift as a creative decision. Others interpret it as the symbolic breakdown of one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood. However, since the firestorm started, neither Urban nor Nicole Kidman have made any public statements, leaving millions to wonder and lament the seeming end of an unbreakable love story.
