Waking Up Laughing

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[1]
Allmusic	[2]
BBC Music	(favorable)[3]
Country Weekly	(positive)[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[5]
The New York Times	(positive)[6]
People
Plugged In	(favorable)[7]

Waking Up Laughing is the ninth studio album from country singer Martina McBride. This album is the first in McBride's career in which she has both co-written songs and been involved in the production single-handedly. This album produced three chart singles for McBride on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: "Anyway" at #5, "How I Feel" at #15 and "For These Times" at #35. In the U.S. the album was certified Gold on 12/12/2007 by the R.I.A.A.

Content

Waking Up Laughing is the first album of McBride's career in which she co-wrote any of the material. McBride wrote the lead-off single "Anyway" with Brad and Brett Warren of The Warren Brothers. This song reached #5 on the Hot Country Songs charts in early 2007, becoming McBride's first Top Ten country hit in three years. The Warren Brothers and McBride also co-wrote "How I Feel", the second single, with Chris Lindsey and Aimee Mayo.

"For These Times" was inspired by former Republican senator Rick Santorum, who was defeated in 2006, and his daughter. When his daughter began to cry at his loss, the cameras focused on her, inspiring Leslie Satcher to write the song. It was also inspired by her Pastor, who stated "For these times in which we live, you are going to need this book." referring to the Bible.^[8] The song received a 2009 Grammy nomination.

"Cry Cry ('Til the Sun Shines)" was covered by former Trick Pony lead vocalist Heidi Newfield on her debut solo album, What Am I Waiting For, from which it was released as a single in November 2008.

Track listing

Personnel

• Robert Bailey – background vocals
• David Campbell – string arrangements, conductor
• Matt Chamberlain – drums
• J.T. Corenflos – electric guitar
• Renita Smith Crittenden – choir
• Dan Dugmore – dobro, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Kim Fleming – background vocals
• Larry Franklin – fiddle
• Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar
• Steve Gibson – electric guitar
• Vicki Hampton – background vocals
• Wes Hightower – background vocals
• Darlene Hill – choir
• Dann Huff – electric guitar
• David Huff – percussion
• Carolyn Dawn Johnson – background vocals
• Troy Johnson – background vocals
• Rick Jones – choir
• Tim Lauer – accordion, pump organ, synthesizer
• B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar
• Brent Mason – electric guitar
• Martina McBride – lead vocals, background vocals
• Gordon Mote – piano
• The Nashville String Machine – strings
• Steve Nathan – Hammond B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer
• Calvin Settles – choir
• Fallon Settles – choir
• Ira Wayne Settles – choir
• Odessa Settles – choir
• Sara Settles – choir
• Shirley Settles – choir
• Todd Suttles – choir
• Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar, mandolin
• Keith Urban – electric guitar, soloist, background vocals
• Brett Warren – background vocals
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
• Elizabeth White – choir
• Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangements
• Pierre Womble – choir
• Glenn Worf – bass guitar
• Paul Worley – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Jennifer Wrinkle – background vocals
• Reese Wynans – Hammond B-3 organ
• Jonathan Yudkin – mandolin, string arrangements, strings

Chart performance

Singles

References