The Story Behind Bailey Zimmerman’s “Fix’n To Break”

The 2023 release of “Fix'n To Break” ushered in a new chapter for rising country star Bailey Zimmerman, giving fans their first taste of new music from his debut album, Religiously. The Album. This emotional single was well-received by fans and remains a favorite for many of Bailey's admirers. We explore the story behind this beloved ballad and what makes it so special.

Bailey experienced a rapid rise to fame, which set the stage for the release of “Fix'n To Break.” While eking out a blue-collar living as a gas pipeline worker, he created TikTok videos showcasing his custom GMC pickup truck on the side. While his channel had a small following, it exploded after he posted a video of himself singing “Never Comin' Home,” a song he'd written with his buddy Gavin Lucas, in December 2020. It racked up around 1.5 million views overnight and inspired Bailey to focus on music full time.

In February 2021, Bailey officially released “Never Comin' Home,” after scraping together the money for studio time. It proved to be a good investment, as record deals with Warner Music Nashville and Elektra Records followed in 2022, and by October, he'd released his debut EP Leave the Light On. It featured many of the songs he'd include on his debut album, including the top 10 single “Rock and a Hard Place.”

The “Fix'n to Break” song creation story began with an old friend. Bailey and his original collaborator, Gavin Lucas, cowrote the song with Sergio Sanchez, Chandler Walters, and Austin Shawn. Together, they created lyrics that painted the picture of a man doing his best to hold an unstable relationship together. The song was a perfect fit for Bailey, who had told similar stories about relationships on the brink of collapse in his previous two singles, “Where It Ends” and “Rock and a Hard Place.”

Austin Shawn also produced “Fix'n To Break,” provided backing vocals, and played drums and bass. You can hear his musical contributions alongside Tim Galloway, who played slide, acoustic, and electric guitars, banjo, and mandolin, and Kurt Ozan, who played dobro and electric and pedal steel guitars. The mix of acoustic and electric sounds adds an emotional depth to the song's bittersweet lyrics. The track also features a hip-hop beat, which makes this country song feel fresh and gives it a crossover appeal.

In “Fix'n To Break,” we see an unstable relationship through the eyes of Bailey's narrator, a fix-it man. While he's “pretty good with a hammer and a nail” and has “built this love up, stone by stone,” he's unsure whether the damaged relationship is something that he can repair. The songwriters use construction references literally to describe the man and metaphorically when describing the relationship and what might save it.

In the chorus, Bailey questions his love, “Tell me somethin', What's been on your mind?, Are you thinkin' ‘bout runnin'?” He wants his partner to open up, to say something that might give him hope that they want this relationship as much as he does. At the end of the chorus, he reveals his uncertainty in their future as he sings, “Are we fix'n to break?”

Bailey reveals a glimmer of hope as he sings, “We've been beat but we ain't broke yet, Got a few loose strings hanging by a thread.” However, “Fix'n To Break” offers no resolution, leaving the relationship hanging in the balance as the final acoustic notes hang in the air. By refusing to give listeners a happy ending, Bailey gives his song an emotional resonance and grittiness that reflects the reality that many relationships don't last.

“Fix'n To Break” combines classic country elements and modern production to create a song that feels totally fresh. Tim Galloway and Kurt Ozan play traditional country instruments, including the banjo, mandolin, and dobro and slide, pedal steel, and acoustic guitars. They also add electric guitars, which have been a key part of country music in recent decades. Austin Shawn's bass and drum sounds and contemporary production are much more modern, though. He also adds atmospheric elements that help this track sound much moodier than Bailey's previous releases.

Songs about troubled relationships aren't new for the country genre. The use of traditional country sounds helps to reinforce this classic theme. More modern sonic elements bring an immediacy to the couple's struggles.

“Fix'n to Break” was a minor hit for Bailey Zimmerman, peaking at No. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 83 on the Canadian singles charts. It did better on the Hot Country Songs chart, reaching No. 23 and sticking around for five weeks.

It received minimal airplay and did not crack the mainstream or country radio charts. It also failed to make the digital or streaming charts. However, it was warmly received by fans. On Facebook, one fan told Bailey, “It's absolutely amazing just like you!” while another noted that they “Listened to it as soon as I could and have been listening on repeat.”

“Fix'n To Break” builds on the elements that helped make Bailey Zimmerman a viral sensation. Like past hits “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Fall in Love,” it sees Bailey assuming the role of a sensitive, romantic lead and adding hip-hop elements to his country sound as he did with his debut single. Bailey also fuses country and hip-hop in his later releases.

After the release of “Fix'n To Break,” Bailey Zimmerman's career has gone from strength to strength. In 2024, he released several new singles, including “Hell or High Water,” from the soundtrack for the film Twisters, and “All the Way,” a collaboration with rapper BigXthaPlug. With every new release, Bailey continues to grow as an artist and appeal to a wider audience. If his star continues to rise, Bailey Zimmerman may become a leading figure in modern country music.