Liz Rose
Birth nameElisabeth Wagner
Born (1957-09-06) September 6, 1957 (age 66)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Songwriter
Years active1994–present
Spouse(s)Brian Maher
Websitethelizrose.com

Elisabeth Wagner (born September 6, 1957), known professionally as Liz Rose, is an American country music songwriter, best known for her work with Taylor Swift. She has co-written 17 of Swift's officially released songs, including "You Belong with Me", which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year; "Teardrops on My Guitar"; "White Horse", which won both Swift and her a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2010; and "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021 and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2023. She works regularly alongside songwriters Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, collectively calling themselves The Love Junkies and notably writing songs for Little Big Town and Carrie Underwood, among others.[1]

Biography

Rose was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Irving, Texas.[2] Rose moved to Nashville, Tennessee, with her then-husband, Johnny Rose, and began writing songs through the suggestion of a friend. One of her first cuts was "Elisabeth," which was recorded by Billy Gilman.[2] In 2003, Gary Allan took Rose's "Songs About Rain" (co-written with Pat McLaughlin) into the country's top 20.[2] Rose spoke in the podcast Broken Record about being married 4 times.

Rose began writing songs with Taylor Swift on Swift's 2006 self-titled debut album, on which Rose has seven co-writer's credits.[3] Among those cuts were the album's first two singles, "Tim McGraw" and "Teardrops on My Guitar", which helped Rose win a Songwriter of the Year award from SESAC in 2007.[4] Rose continued to collaborate with Swift on her second album, 2008's Fearless. Swift and Rose co-wrote the singles, "White Horse" and "You Belong with Me"[5] as well as the title track. "White Horse" won both of them the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2010,[6] and "You Belong with Me" was nominated for Grammy Award for Song of the Year.[7] On Swift's fourth album, 2012's Red, Rose co-wrote one song, entitled "All Too Well".[8]

She has also worked with songwriting for Swedish country singer Jill Johnson[9] and Nashville-based band Mockingbird Sun, co-writing their second single "Lucky Guy".[10]

With regular collaborators, Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsay as part of The Love Junkies, she co-wrote the song "Girl Crush" performed by Little Big Town. For the song, she won the 2015 CMA Song of the Year and was nominated at the 2016 Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Country Song, winning the latter.

She also contributed to Carrie Underwood's album Storyteller with the song "Like I'll Never Love You Again".

Her daughter is country/Americana artist Caitlin Rose.[11]

Liz Rose first began her career as a songwriter at age 37.[12] A successful songwriter, she does not play an instrument.[13]

Rose is one of the board of directors of National Music Publishers' Association.[14]

Songs written

Songwriting discography
Artist Album Song Co-written with Charts and Awards
Lauren Alaina Wildflower (2011) "Like My Mother Does" Nathan Chapman, Nikki Williams
Gary Allan See If I Care (2003) "Songs About Rain" Pat McLaughlin
Eli Young Band Life at Best (2011) "Crazy Girl" Lee Brice No. 1 on US Hot Country Songs, No. 1 on Year End Hot Country Songs, 2× Platinum
10,000 Towns (2014) "Angel Like You" Heather Morgan, Mike Eli
Colbie Caillat Gypsy Heart (2014) "Never Getting Over You" Colbie Caillat, Jason Reeves
Nelly Furtado The Ride (2017) "Tap Dancing" Nelly Furtado, Natalie Hemby
Jewel Perfectly Clear (2008) "Till It Feels Like Cheating" Jewel
Sweet and Wild (2010) "Satisfied" Jewel
Jill Johnson Flirting with Disaster (2011) "Flirting with Disaster" Jill Johnson, Lisa Carver
"What's a Little Rain" Jill Johnson, Pam Rose
"In One Piece" Jill Johnson, Lisa Carver
"While You're Sleeping"
"I'm Awake Now" Jill Johnson, Pam Rose
"Don't Want to Let You Go" Jill Johnson, Lisa Carver
"I"m Never Far" Jill Johnson, Pam Rose
"When We Had It So Good"
"Roll My Way" Jill Johnson, Lisa Carver, Pam Rose
"The Sound of Leaving" Jill Johnson, Lisa Carver
"Used to Think He Was Everything" Jill Johnson, Lori McKenna
"Dreaming Me Away" Jill Johnson, Lisa Carver
Jypsi Jypsi (2008) "I Don't Love You Like That" Stephanie Chapman
Little Big Town Tornado (2012) "Sober" Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna
Pain Killer (2014) "Tumble and Fall" Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey
"Girl Crush" Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey No. 1 US Hot Country Songs, 2× Platinum
"Save Your Sin" Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey
Martina McBride Shine (2009) "Walk Away" Nathan Chapman, Jesse Walker
Reckless (2016) "Diamonds" (w/Keith Urban) Nicolle Galyon, Eric Paslay
Tim McGraw Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors (2002) "All We Ever Find" Kim Patton-Johnston
Drake Milligan Dallas/Fort Worth (2022) "Hearts Don't Break Even" Brandon Hood, Drake Milligan
Kylie Minogue Golden (2018) "Golden" Kylie Minogue, Lindsay Rimes, Steve McEwan
Jess Moskaluke The Demos "Mapdot" Jess Moskaluke, Zach Abend
Cassadee Pope Frame by Frame (2013) "Edge of a Thunderstorm" Cassadee Pope, busbee
RaeLynn Me "God Made Girls" RaeLynn, Nicolle Galyon, Lori McKenna No. 1 Country Digital Songs
Blake Shelton If I'm Honest (2016) "Every Goodbye busbee, Ryan Hurd
Jennette McCurdy Jennette McCurdy (2012) "Better" Jennette McCurdy, Tommy Lee James
Taylor Swift Taylor Swift (2006) "Tim McGraw" Taylor Swift
"Picture to Burn" No. 3 on US Hot Country Songs, 2× Platinum
"Teardrops on My Guitar" No. 2 on US Hot Country Songs, 3× Platinum
"Cold As You"
"Tied Together with a Smile"
"Stay Beautiful"
"Mary's Song (Oh My My My)" Taylor Swift, Brian Maher
The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (2007) "Christmases When You Were Mine" Taylor Swift, Nathan Chapman
Fearless (2008) "Fearless" Taylor Swift, Hillary Lindsey Platinum
"White Horse" Taylor Swift No. 2 on US Hot Country Songs, 2× Platinum, won Grammy Award for Best Country Song with Swift
"You Belong with Me" No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on US Adult Contemporary, No. 1 on US Hot Country Songs, 7× Platinum, nominated Grammy Award for Song of the Year with Swift
"Tell Me Why"
"Come in with the Rain"
"Superstar"
Red (2012) "All Too Well"
Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021) "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" Taylor Swift, Hillary Lindsey
"White Horse (Taylor's Version)" Taylor Swift
"You Belong with Me (Taylor's Version)"
"Tell Me Why (Taylor's Version)"
"Come in with the Rain (Taylor's Version)"
"Superstar (Taylor's Version)"
"We Were Happy"
"Bye Bye Baby"
Red (Taylor's Version) (2021) "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 [note 1]
"All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)"
Sykamore Pinto (2022) "Go Easy on Me" Jordan Ostrom, Bobby Campbell
Carrie Underwood Storyteller (2015) "Like I'll Never Love You Again" Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna
Cry Pretty (2018) "Cry Pretty" Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna
Lee Ann Womack Greatest Hits (2004) "The Wrong Girl" Pat McLaughlin

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2010 Academy of Country Music Song of the Year You Belong with Me (with Taylor Swift) Nominated
Grammy Awards Song of the Year Nominated
Best Country Song White Horse (with Taylor Swift) Won
2012 Academy of Country Music Song of the Year Crazy Girl (with Lee Brice) Won
2015 Country Music Association Song of the Year Girl Crush (with Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey) Won
2016 Grammy Awards Song of the Year Nominated
Best Country Song Won
Academy of Country Music Song of the Year Nominated
2020 Grammy Awards Best Country Song It All Comes Out in the Wash (with Miranda Lambert, Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsay) Nominated
2023 Grammy Awards Song of the Year All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film) (with Taylor Swift) Nominated

Notes

  1. ^ Chart performances of both the five-minute and ten-minute versions were combined by most national charts. The songs constitute a single chart entry, which is credited with either one of the song titles—"All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" or "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)".

References

  1. ^ Grand Ole Opry. "Lori McKenna & The Love Junkies". Opry.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Taking the "Backward" Approach with LIZ ROSE". Larry Wayne Clark. Archived from the original on September 18, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  3. ^ Joe Edwards (January 26, 2007). "For teen country star Taylor Swift, the time was just right". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  4. ^ Edward Morris (November 6, 2007). ""Tim McGraw" Composer Liz Rose Is SESAC's Songwriter of the Year". CMT. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  5. ^ Edward Morris (September 29, 2009). "SESAC Honors Songwriter Liz Rose for Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me"". CMT. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  6. ^ Sara D. Anderson (January 31, 2010). "'White Horse' wins best country song — Grammys 2010". AOL Radio Blog. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  7. ^ "2010 Nominees". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  8. ^ "Red". Music. Taylor Swift.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  9. ^ "Jill Johnson flirtar med katastrofen". Allehanda (in Swedish). September 28, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  10. ^ "Mockingbird Sun".
  11. ^ "La vie en Rose". The Independent. July 25, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  12. ^ [Hight, J. (2009). Writer's hit parade: Liz rose. The Performing Songwriter, 16, 70.]
  13. ^ [Leahey, A (2014) Songwriter Spotlight: Liz Rose, Rollingstone Magazine]
  14. ^ "NMPA Announces New Songwriter Board Members at Annual Meeting". National Music Publishers’ Association. June 13, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
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