Drowning Man

Album: Desperate Man (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Eric Church concludes his Desperate Man album with this blue-collar drinking song. He laments, with the help of $50 worth of whiskey, what he sees as the state of our times.

    We put the smoke in a stack
    Put the seed in the ground
    While Lady Liberty turns her back
    And Uncle Sam just turns around
    No I don't wanna think about it
    Oh tonight I don't wanna think about it


    "I've seen it happen," Church told Rolling Stone. "I've seen people who lost their jobs, lost their homes, who felt like they didn't have a voice. So when the [2016] election happened, I was not as surprised as maybe other people were."
  • "Drowning Man" addresses overlooked America and the ways musicians have (or haven't) responded. "If you go to any bar or concert in America, there are whole groups of forgotten people who are very much alike, who have more in common than not," said Church. "There's a lot of madness in the world that makes no sense, and it's not all high tides and yachts."
  • Producer Jay Joyce secretly set up a microphone under Church's foot when he was recording this song. The tapping forms the main kick on the final drum track.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Don Felder

Don FelderSongwriter Interviews

Don breaks down "Hotel California" and other songs he wrote as a member of the Eagles. Now we know where the "warm smell of colitas" came from.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.