The Dixie Chicks' 2006 album, Taking the Long Way, includes a song called "Silent House" as its eighth track. Although the tune was never released as a single, it holds a special place in lead singer Natalie Maines' heart. "Silent House" was written by Maines and her Chicks bandmates, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, as well as Neil Finn, and below, Maines tells The Boot about the bittersweet inspiration behind the song.

This is a sad song that tries to be sweet ... It's about my grandmother, my Nonna, who has Alzheimer's. [As of 2008, she'd] been suffering from it for over 10 years.

It just seems like the worst way to end your life, when you can't remember any of it. But she touched a lot of people, and we all remember. So this song is about that: It's okay to forget, I'll try and carry on. Because, when they first start realizing they are forgetting is the saddest time; they're embarrassed. So it's almost better when they don't know what's going on.

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