Kill a Word - wikipedia Kill a Word `` Kill a Word '' Single by Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens from the album Mr. Misunderstood Released August 29, 2016 ( 2016 - 08 - 29 ) Format Digital download Genre Country Length 3 : 20 Label EMI Nasvhille Songwriter ( s ) Eric Church Luke Dick Jeff Hyde Producer ( s ) Jay Joyce Eric Church singles chronology `` Record Year '' ( 2016 ) `` Kill a Word '' ( 2016 ) `` Round Here Buzz '' ( 2017 ) `` Record Year '' ( 2016 ) `` Kill a Word '' ( 2016 ) `` Round Here Buzz '' ( 2017 ) Rhiannon Giddens singles chronology `` Lay Your Money Down '' ( 2012 ) Lay Your Money Down2012 `` Kill a Word '' ( 2016 ) Kill a Word2016 `` Come Sunday '' ( 2016 ) Come Sunday2016 `` Kill a Word '' is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eric Church as a duet with American musician Rhiannon Giddens. It was released in August 2016 as the third single from Church 's 2015 album Mr. Misunderstood. Church wrote this song with Luke Dick and Jeff Hyde. Contents 1 Content 2 Music video 3 Critical reception 4 Commercial performance 5 Covers 6 Chart performance 6.1 Weekly charts 6.2 Year - end charts 7 References Content The song is about the power and importance of words, and wanting to `` kill '' words with negative meanings, such as `` hate. '' The album version features Andrea Davidson and Rhiannon Giddens, the latter a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, on backing vocals. For the single edit, Giddens sings some lines of the song by herself. Church told Rolling Stone that the 2016 presidential election was influential in picking `` Kill a Word '' as a single : `` I would have regretted not putting out ' Kill a Word, ' and let this season pass, not knowing if I would get a chance again where it was this relevant, this timely. '' Music video The music video was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered on CMT, GAC, and Vevo in 2016. Critical reception Billy Dukes of Taste of Country wrote that `` Soulful production and the addition of Rhiannon Giddens gives ( sic ) a more casual listener something to enjoy if he or she chooses not to dive into Church 's statement. '' Giving it an `` A '', Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe wrote that `` Songs that aim for utopia usually stumble along the way because they are either too preachy or too woefully naive. Church avoids this trap by zeroing in on the obstacles rather than the goal, and personalizes the proceedings by tackling what gets in the way of individual pursuit of happiness. '' Church and Giddens were nominated for Musical Event of the Year at the 51st Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2017. Commercial performance The song debuted on the Country Airplay chart at No. 58 for the chart dated September 10, 2016, and entered the Hot Country Songs chart three weeks later at No. 41. The song has sold 194,000 copies in the United States as of March 2017. Covers The band No Idea released a new version of the song as the B - side to their single, `` Reduced to Flames ''. The song featured the entire lyrics from the original song, but with heavy metal music. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 2016 -- 17 ) Peak position Canada ( Canadian Hot 100 ) 71 Canada Country ( Billboard ) 5 US Billboard Hot 100 71 US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) 6 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) 9 Year - end charts Chart ( 2017 ) Position Canada Country ( Billboard ) 17 US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) 36 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) 48 References Jump up ^ Horton, Carrie ( September 1, 2016 ). `` Hear Eric Church 's ' Relevant ', ' Timely ' New Single, ' Kill a Word ' ''. The Boot. Retrieved 30 October 2016. ^ Jump up to : Dukes, Billy ( September 1, 2016 ). `` Eric Church ( Feat. Rhiannon Giddens ), ' Kill a Word ' ( Listen ) ''. Taste of Country. Retrieved 30 October 2016. Jump up ^ Hudak, Joseph ( August 23, 2016 ). `` See Eric Church 's Thought - Provoking ' Kill a Word ' From Amazing Solo Show ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 October 2016. Jump up ^ Coyne, Kevin John ( September 28, 2016 ). `` Single Review : Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens, `` Kill a Word '' ``. Country Universe. Retrieved 30 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` Hot Country Songs ''. Billboard. October 1, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Country Airplay ''. Billboard. September 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Bjorke, Matt ( March 22, 2017 ). `` Top 30 Digital Single Sales Chart : March 22, 2017 ''. Roughstock. Jump up ^ `` Eric Church Chart History ( Canadian Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Eric Church Chart History ( Canada Country ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Eric Church Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Eric Church Chart History ( Country Airplay ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Eric Church Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Canada Year - End Country Airplay of 2017 ''. Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Country Airplay Songs -- Year - End 2017 ''. Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Hot Country Songs -- Year - End 2017 ''. Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017. Eric Church Studio albums Sinners Like Me ( 2006 ) Carolina ( 2009 ) Chief ( 2011 ) The Outsiders ( 2014 ) Mr. Misunderstood ( 2015 ) Notable singles `` How ' Bout You '' `` Two Pink Lines '' `` Guys Like Me '' `` Love Your Love the Most '' `` Hell on the Heart '' `` Smoke a Little Smoke '' `` Homeboy '' `` Drink in My Hand '' `` Springsteen '' `` Creepin ' '' `` Like Jesus Does '' `` The Outsiders '' `` Give Me Back My Hometown '' `` Cold One '' `` Talladega '' `` Like a Wrecking Ball '' `` Mr. Misunderstood '' `` Record Year '' `` Kill a Word '' ( w / Rhiannon Giddens ) `` Round Here Buzz '' Guest songs `` The Only Way I Know '' ( w / Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan ) `` Raise ' Em Up '' ( w / Keith Urban ) `` Are You Ready for the Country '' ( w / Hank Williams, Jr. ) Related articles Discography Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kill_a_Word&oldid=854324990 '' Categories : 2015 songs 2016 singles Eric Church songs Vocal duets Songs written by Eric Church Songs written by Jeff Hyde EMI Records singles Song recordings produced by Jay Joyce Hidden categories : Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Canada Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardcanadacountry Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Billboardcountryairplay Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 10 August 2018, at 14 : 06 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the song kill a word about
Answer: the power and importance of words