and I agree...

in all seriousness... I'll send anyone who tells me in detail what they think it is about and it lines up with what I think.... If no one has in next 72 hours, I'll post what I think it is about and send any winner or even someone that comes really close a gift card.

Danko/Manuel

Oh... and spare yourself if your response is gonna be it's about "the band" and it's members.... you'll need a lot more than that.

Ok, so here is my synopsis.

Overall I think it is a song about Isbell thinking about leaving the Drive by Truckers and comparing the Truckers to The Band. I believe he started out writing it like he says that it was to be about Levon Helm, the demise of the band, and the deaths of Richard Manuel and Rick Danko... but it turned into a song about Isbell's internal struggle with both alcoholism and wanting something more than staying with the truckers and continuing on down the same road that could end in the demise as it did for the band.

I think he sees a comparison somewhat between the two... Considering The band had three strong vocalists and so did Drive by Truckers. Along with his struggle with substance abuse just like Richard Manuels... and how his struggle affected Drive by Truckers just the way Manuel's affected the band.

Which can be seen in the lines...

quote:
I ain't living like I should.
A little rest might do me good.

He also fills stuck, like he's stuck in a spot that he wants to get out of... Stuck standing in the same place, doing the same thing, night after night and that he may want more. Which can be seen in the lines...

quote:
Got to sinking in the place where I once stood. Now I ain't living like I should.

Also, I do know Isbell somewhat in person, and people that know him... He can be pretty cocky. I believe when he is referring to Singing that sounds like Gold, he is referring more about himself than the other members of DBT. Just like Manuel was the best vocalist of The Band. He could be referring to the whole band, but I don't think so and will show more proof of it in later lines. The chorus states this, along with the feeling of being stuck in the same routine of being on the road much the same as the band ended up in... one in which it comes to be the "road is running over them"

I think the next lines are about Richard Manuel's threats to kill himself and Isbells threats to leave the band... along with him being cocky... like DBT won't be as good without him.. In many ways I think it was both cocky of him and correct.. many people only really liked DBT because of Isbell's songs.

quote:
God forbid you call their bluff. Like the nightmares ain't enough. Remember when we used to think that we were tough? God forbid you call their bluff.

The next set of lines are probably the most important... cause some of them have changed from the way they were sung when the song was originally written. It seems pretty obvious to me that Isbell is talking about himself as if he is Manuel and either Cooley or Hood is Danko... It also goes back to the cockiness I was mentioning before.. that Isbell seems to think he is the better of the singers. And him wondering if he wants to stay with DBT. But then the line changes to something much less cocky after his departure and more so of saying Cooley and/or Hood might have been proud of him.

It starts off stating that people have made him out to be the best...

quote:
First they make you out to be the only pirate on the sea.

Pirate is now sung pirates... as if he now includes Cooley and Hood where before he did not.

And then the most important line, the one that changed the most. it was originally

quote:
Then they say Danko would have sounded just like me.

but is now sung... after Isbell's departure.

quote:
They say Danko might have been real proud of me.

And of Course... He is questioning before leaving DBT if he wants to stay with DBT and the same routine...

quote:
"Is that the man you want to be?"

Which he sometimes sings as I want to be.

He continues to sum up his questioning about leaving DBT in a small chorus change with the line...

quote:
Maybe I could make it bigger overseas.

which he actually did after leaving DBT

Then he continues to relate himself to Manuel with the lines and questioning leaving his home "The Drive by Truckers" for another band with the lines...

quote:
Maybe I can hear poor Richard from the grave singin' where to reap and when to sow when you've found another home you have to leave.

So that's pretty much it... Bash away.

No one gave as much detail or said exactly what I thought it was about, but NoSaint got the closest. Need your email and I'll send you a $25 dollar gift card.

This post was edited on 12/14/14 at 12:56 am