21st Century Honky Tonk American Band

Album: Let it Roll (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Midland addressing the stresses of life on the road.

    Play just about anywhere, draw it down on a map
    A different scene, the same ol' jeans, the same ol' pussycats
    Tell Mama I miss her and I'll be back one day
    I don't think ol' Waylon Jennings would've even done it this way


    The song's sentiment of being on the road away from their loved ones resonated with all three band members. Both bassist Cameron Duddy and guitarist Jess Carson are fathers, and when they recorded the tune, vocalist Mark Wystrach had a daughter on the way.
  • The closing lyric provoked a disagreement within the band.

    And I know I've been away too long
    'Cause I'm the same
    But they've all changed


    Duddy told Billboard the trio argued over whether the lyric should be "everyone has changed and we're the same" or "are we changing and everyone else is the same?"

    "Depending on how you're looking at it, it's kind of both," he added. "I've got a kid at home and if I'm gone for over a week or two, he's three-years-old and it seems like he's a completely different person when I get back. In a way, I feel like I've been robbed of enjoying the golden years of him being a child," he says. "You don't want to be the person who comes back different. The objective is to be the same person that you were when you started out more or less. The road will change you. If you manage to get out of it intact, hopefully it's changed you for the better, but you're definitely going to take flack."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Black Sabbath

Black SabbathFact or Fiction

Dwarfs on stage with an oversize Stonehenge set? Dabbling in Satanism? Find out which Spinal Tap-moments were true for Black Sabbath.

Jonathan Cain of Journey

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."