Trisha Yearwood, Las Vegas Sun

Marriage softens Yearwood’s song selection Lisa Sciortino Friday, March 15, 1996 | 11:59 a.m. It amazes country songstress Trisha Yearwood that tiny tots often sing along with her 1991 hit single, "She's in Love With the Boy." And she can't figure out why teenage girls are so mystified by her music, especially a happy hit tune titled "XXXs and OOOs." "That song is more about somebody my age trying to make it in the '90s ... and trying to make it in a man's world," said the 31-year-old Yearwood in a recent phone interview from Nashville, Tenn. "I guess a lot of the really young girls ... they probably feel that coming on. I guess people like it for different reasons." Must be why her most recent album, the year-old "Thinkin' About You," has maintained its staying power and produced two No. 1 hit singles, the title track and "XXXs." "I think my philosophy is simple: Just try to find what I think are really good songs," she says. Yearwood will likely perform several of those "good songs" featured on the double-platinum album during her concert Saturday at Buffalo Bill's. One of the biggies: "On a Bus to St. Cloud," a real tearjerker is a ballad "about a loss." On a bus to St. Cloud, Minnesota, I thought I saw you there, With the snow falling down around you, Like a silent prayer. "What makes me like a song are lyrics that paint a picture," she explains. In this one, "I don't know ... if this person has passed away or is just out of your life." At the other end of the spectrum is a rockin' ballad called "The Restless Kind." "It sounded like something Waylon (Jennings) would do," she says. But why the mishmash of styles? "I think it's a challenge to try to be able to satisfy all sides of yourself and still have some continuity. My voice is what keeps it all in check." Nevertheless, don't expect any "major changes" from Yearwood on her next album, due out in July. "I'm not doing 'Trisha Yearwood Raps' or anything." The songs may be a little more happy-go-lucky than in the past. After all, marriage will do that to you -- and your music. She and Robert Reynolds, bassist for the Mavericks, tied the knot two years ago. Wedded bliss has added "an element" to her music that she claims wasn't there previously. The proof already lies in sweet songs like "Thinkin' About You" and "Fairytale." Both "show the positive sides of relationships and love." Five years ago, "I might not have wanted to sing about that," she says. Coincidently, husband and wife each received a Grammy Award nomination this year in the Best Country Album category for their respective works. Country's current superstar, Shania Twain, wound up winning. Bet the tension at home was high, huh? Not at all, she says. "Awards are great, but they don't have anything to do with our relationship. "For now, we're going for it career-wise and keeping the priority on our marriage." If there's one thing sure to remain constant about Yearwood's style, it'll be her knack for storytelling during concerts. Fans, she says, "want to know more about the person," so she uses breaks between songs to expose them to her "interesting sense of humor." "I never really know what's gonna come out of my mouth," she says with a giggle. "At least every show's different."