Billboard Country Update: Jackson Dean Brings New Life To Antiquated Phrase ‘Heavens To Betsy’

Language, like music or fashion, evolves, and as a result, the use of some words or phrases makes it look like the speaker has not. “Groovy,” “makin’ whoopee” and “the cat’s meow” had their day, and even earlier, so did “heavens to Betsy,” an exclamation associated with older Southern ladies that seems more appropriate for the Roaring ’20s than the 2020s. Etymologists don’t know for certain who Betsy was or when she first entered the lexicon, though the phrase has been traced back to the 19th century. Thus, word nerds can be forgiven if they’re skeptical of Jackson Dean’s new single,“Heavens to Betsy,” which sounds dated to anyone familiar with the title. But the phrase is also old enough that many listeners may not have heard it before; Dean had not when the title was first mentioned in a March 2021 songwriting session.

“That line has never been used around me growing up or anything,” Dean notes. “I took it very literally.”

“Heavens to Betsy” came up during a March 2021 songwriting session with Benjy Davis (“The Painter,” “Made for You”) and Driver Williams (“Smoke a Little Smoke,”“Hang Tight Honey”) at Little Louder Music in Nashville. Williams floated the “Heavens to Betsy” title, assuming they could give it a classic sort of twist.

“My original thought was more country and lighter in subject matter,” Williams recalls. “It was more like, this girl named Betsy doesn’t need all the finer things in life. She just needs a home and a good man. That’d be heaven to Betsy.” That only worked, though, if they could shave the “s” off “heavens,” but without that one letter, it no longer referenced the original phrase.

Dean’s literal interpretation took it in a different direction: He pictured a father in heaven communicating with his daughter, Betsy, through a walkie-talkie or CB radio. They all found that idea intriguing.“It had to be dark,” Williams says, “because whoever was in heaven, he’s obviously dead. And it’s just like, ‘Man, how dark can we get with this?’ And we went really dark with it.”

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