Noteworthy for their three guitars lineup, the 'Truckers' are often associated with the Southern rock movement of the 70s and "jam" bands but are too cerebral and irreverent to sit squarely in either genre. Their lyrics often revolve around the working class trying to survive in economically-depressed small towns of the South.
Co-founded by Patterson Hood (son of bassist David Hood of the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) and longtime friend and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, in 1996. The two men had played in various other bands including Adam's House Cat which was chosen as a top ten Best Unsigned Band by a Musician contest in the late 1980s.
Together with a revolving group of musicians, Drive-By Truckers put out their first two albums, Gangstabilly (1998) and Pizza Deliverance (1999). Following their second release, the band embarked on a nationwide tour, resulting in a live album called Alabama Ass Whuppin' (released in 2000 by Second Heaven Records, re-released in 2002 by Terminus Records). They had an entertaining and informational website long before most bands had begun taking advantage of the internet as a promotional tool, and together with constant touring, they quickly developed a large and dedicated fan base both on and off-line.
After three years on the road a tight-knit group of musicians emerged and they began work on 2001's Southern Rock Opera. Southern Rock Opera is a double album executed as a song cycle. The album loosely uses the rise and literal fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd as a metaphor for the culture of the American South.
Self released on their own Soul Dump Records on September 12, 2001, Southern Rock Opera, quickly accumulated praise from fans and critics alike, including a four-star review in Rolling Stone. To take advantage of the positive reception, Southern Rock Opera was re-issued by Mercury and Lost Highway Records in July 2002. Soon after, Drive-By Truckers were named Band of the Year by No Depression.
Before they could record a follow-up to Southern Rock Opera, guitarist Rob Malone left and was replaced guitarist and songwriter, Jason Isbell. Originally from Greenhill, Alabama, during his five years with Drive-By Truckers, Isbell contributed a number of significant songs to the albums he worked on.
Due to changes at Lost Highway, the Truckers were released from their contract and signed with Austin-based record label New West, for the follow-up to Southern Rock Opera, 2003's Decoration Day. Like its predecessor, the album received broad praise from fans and critics alike. Although it isn't a concept album, the songs of Decoration Day explore a common theme of hard decisions in the context of marriage, incest, break-ups, revenge, murder, and suicide are major themes.
After years of producing and playing with Drive-By Truckers, bassist Earl Hicks left the band on December 22, 2003. Hicks was immediately replaced by studio bassist Shonna Tucker, then wife of guitarist Jason Isbell. Tucker had previously guested on Decoration Day playing upright bass on the Cooley-penned track, "Sounds Better in the Song".
In 2004, Drive-By Truckers released The Dirty South. Like Southern Rock Opera, The Dirty South was a concept album. The Dirty South further explored the mythology of the South, with songs focusing on Sam Phillips and the Sun Records crowd, John Henry and his hammer, and a three-song suite about Sheriff Buford Pusser.
After touring throughout 2004 and 2005, Drive-By Truckers found their way to the Fidelitorium Recording Studio in Forsyth County, North Carolina during late 2005. These recording sessions, once again produced by David Barbe, resulted in the band's seventh LP, A Blessing and a Curse.
Released on April 18, 2006, A Blessing and a Curse showcased Drive-By Truckers' ability to branch out into new territory, and can be seen as the band's attempt at shaking labeling by critics, detractors, fans, and followers, particularly the Southern rock label that has haunted the band since Southern Rock Opera. The album sounds less like Skynyrd, and more closely resembles the bare-bones British rock of the early 1970s such as The Rolling Stones and Faces. Tom Petty's influence on the band's sound is more prominent on this album as well.
In 2006, Drive-By Truckers reunited, both on-stage and on-record, with Athens-based pedal steel guitarist, John Neff. Neff first played with the band on their 1998 debut LP, Gangstabilly, and played pedal steel on three subsequent albums, 1999's Pizza Deliverance, and 2003's Decoration Day. Neff was featured heavily on the 2006 release, A Blessing and a Curse. During the next year, Neff began touring with the band as an unofficial sixth member.
On April 5, 2007 Jason Isbell announced that he was no longer a member of the band. The following day, Patterson Hood confirmed the break on the official site. In his letter to the fans, Hood described the parting of ways as "amicable" and expressed the hope that fans would continue to support Drive-By Truckers as well as Jason's solo efforts. In the same letter, Hood announced that John Neff would become a full-time member playing both guitar and pedal steel.
Shortly after Isbell's departure, on April 20, 2007, Patterson Hood announced via the band's website that a longtime friend of The Hood Family, Spooner Oldham, would be joining the band playing keyboard for a string of acoustic performances called The Dirt Underneath Tour.
Drive-By Truckers performed as backup musicians for Bettye LaVette's 2007 album, The Scene of the Crime. The album went to #1 on Billboard's Blues Chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Partly as a result of this collaboration, the Truckers went on to act as the backing band for Booker T Jones for his first recording in more than a decade. The album, Potato Hole, was well received by critics and it resulted in numerous shows together.
On January 22, 2008, the Drive-By Truckers' eighth album, Brighter Than Creation's Dark (named after a line in a Cooley song entitled "Checkout Time in Vegas"), was released in the US and went to #37 on the Billboard 200 album charts. Once again, David Barbe produced the album and artist Wes Freed provided the artwork. The album has nineteen tracks and features the first song contributions from bassist Shonna Tucker.
The band's ninth album "The Big To-Do" was issued on March 26, 2010 on ATO Records, the label founded by Dave Matthews and home to such artists as My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, The Whigs and Brendan Benson.
Bulldozers & Dirt
Drive-By Truckers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You couldn't have been anymore than three
She caught me stealing y'all's color TV
She called the cops and they arrested me
She was the wildest thing I'd ever seen
The way she pointed that shotgun at me
The police hauled my ass off to jail
She picked me up and drove me home
Said I'll learn you not to roam?
Green green grass under my feet
But all I can think about's the dirt underneath
Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
Behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt
I got a pickup that's up on blocks
And I'm up to my ass in debt and hock
And I can't get the red stains off of my socks
And I can't get you off of my mind
I've lived with your mama for eleven years
Through good times, and bad times, fist fights and tears
But something comes over me when you come near
So won't you come over and sip on this beer
Bulldozers and dirt bulldozers and dirt
Behind the trailer, my desert
I don't mean no harm, I just like to flirt
But most of all I like bulldozers and dirt
Most of all I like bulldozers and dirt
The lyrics of the song Bulldozers & Dirt by Drive-By Truckers tell a story of love, family, and perseverance. The singer meets his lover's mother when he was just sixteen, and she catches him trying to steal their color TV. He gets arrested, and the mother bails him out of jail. She takes him home and seems to take on a motherly role, warning him not to roam. However, the singer becomes fixated on bulldozers and dirt, which seem to represent freedom and possibility. He expresses his love for his partner and his passion for bulldozers and dirt, suggesting that his world might be imperfect, but he finds happiness in the simplicity of his desires.
The song captures the essence of the working-class culture and the struggles people face in life. While the lyrics paint a picture of poverty, debt, and hardship, they also convey a sense of hope and resilience. The singer's love for bulldozers and dirt might seem odd, but it represents his connection to the earth, and his hope for something more. The lyrics suggest that even though life might be challenging, there is beauty and meaning to be found in it. Overall, Bulldozers & Dirt is a poignant and profound work of art that explores some of life's most essential themes.
Line by Line Meaning
I met your mama when I was sixteen
I first met your mother when I was still a teenager, at the age of sixteen.
You couldn't have been anymore than three
You - the person to whom I'm addressing this song - were only a small child, no more than three years of age, when I first met your mother.
She caught me stealing y'all's color TV
Your mother discovered me in the act of stealing your family's color television set.
She called the cops and they arrested me
As a result of catching me stealing the TV, your mother phoned the police and they came and arrested me.
She was the wildest thing I'd ever seen
Your mother was the most uninhibited and unpredictable person I had ever encountered.
The way she pointed that shotgun at me
I was particularly struck by how your mother took a shotgun and aimed at me with it, in order to scare me away after catching me stealing.
The police hauled my ass off to jail
After I was arrested, the police took me into custody and transported me to jail.
Your mama signed the trailer to help make the bail
Your mother was resourceful enough to provide the needed funds to make bail, by signing over the ownership papers of your family's trailer to secure the necessary funds to pay for my release from jail.
She picked me up and drove me home
Your mother came to get me after my release from jail, and drove me back to my own home.
Said I'll learn you not to roam?
It appears that your mother was trying to teach me a lesson about wandering around and getting into trouble, after the incident where she caught me stealing.
Green green grass under my feet
Despite the pleasant surroundings of the grassy lawn beneath my feet, I am consumed by thoughts of something else entirely.
But all I can think about's the dirt underneath
My prevailing thoughts center around the dirt and earth that is directly beneath the more appealing green grass of the lawns that surround me.
Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
The phrase 'Bulldozers and dirt' is repeated in a somewhat rhythmic manner, potentially indicating that the titular objects have some personal meaning or deeper significance to the singer.
Behind the trailer, my desert
The space behind your family's trailer has become a special, even sacred location for me. It is a place that holds special meaning and significance to me personally.
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
Piles of red clay in this deserted area are especially significant for the singer, and might be emblematic of memories or experiences that are particularly meaningful or heartwarming.
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt
The phrase 'I get my rocks off' appears to be a crude reference to sexual satisfaction, though in this case it is shifted to refer to some sort of arousal or delight specifically triggered by bulldozers and dirt.
I got a pickup that's up on blocks
I am the owner of an automobile that is currently inoperable and has been placed up on blocks as a result.
And I'm up to my ass in debt and hock
I am experiencing overwhelming financial obligations, represented in part by the phrase 'up to my ass in debt and hock.'
And I can't get the red stains off of my socks
I have been enduring a minor inconvenience or annoyance, represented by the persistence of 'red stains' on my socks.
And I can't get you off of my mind
Despite owing money and having an automobile in disrepair, my primary focus is on the ongoing and intrusive memories of you - presumably, the intended listener of this song.
I've lived with your mama for eleven years
The artist has been living with your mother for somewhat over a decade, represented by the phrase 'eleven years.'
Through good times, and bad times, fist fights and tears
In the course of cohabitating together, the artist and your mother have experienced a wide range of emotions and experiences, both positive and negative.
But something comes over me when you come near
Despite the length of time spent living with your mother, something happens to the singer when you enter into his or her presence.
So won't you come over and sip on this beer
The artist is requesting that you - the intended listener - visit and share with him in drinking an alcoholic beverage.
I don't mean no harm, I just like to flirt
The singer is assuring you that his request for a visit and a drink is intended completely innocently, and is not meant to cause any harm or difficulty in your life.
But most of all I like bulldozers and dirt
The phrase 'Bulldozers and dirt' is used one more time, suggesting that these specific objects serve as a recurring, perhaps symbolic, presence in the singer's life and imagination.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: PATTERSON HOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Badger Mustelid
LYRICS
met your mama when I was sixteen
You couldn't have been anymore than three
She caught me stealing yall's color TV
She called the cops and they arrested me
She was the wildest thing I'd ever seen
The way she pointed that shotgun at me
The police hauled my ass off to jail
Your mama signed the trailer to help make the bail
She picked me up and drove me home
Said "I'll learn you not to roam"
Green green grass under my feet
But all I can think about's the dirt underneath
Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
Behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt
I got a pickup that's up on blocks
And I'm up to my ass in debt and hock
And I can't get the red stains off of my socks
And I can't get you off of my mind
I've lived with your mama for eleven years
Through good times, and bad times, fist fights and tears
But something comes over me when you come near
So won't you come over and sip on this beer
Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
Behind the trailer, my desert
I don't mean no harm, I just like to flirt
But most of all I like bulldozers and dirt
Most of all I like bulldozers and dirt
Daniel
I wish they played music like this on the radio
Badger Mustelid
LYRICS
met your mama when I was sixteen
You couldn't have been anymore than three
She caught me stealing yall's color TV
She called the cops and they arrested me
She was the wildest thing I'd ever seen
The way she pointed that shotgun at me
The police hauled my ass off to jail
Your mama signed the trailer to help make the bail
She picked me up and drove me home
Said "I'll learn you not to roam"
Green green grass under my feet
But all I can think about's the dirt underneath
Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
Behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt
I got a pickup that's up on blocks
And I'm up to my ass in debt and hock
And I can't get the red stains off of my socks
And I can't get you off of my mind
I've lived with your mama for eleven years
Through good times, and bad times, fist fights and tears
But something comes over me when you come near
So won't you come over and sip on this beer
Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
Behind the trailer, my desert
I don't mean no harm, I just like to flirt
But most of all I like bulldozers and dirt
Most of all I like bulldozers and dirt
Adam Bliven
Great song I thought whole album was great!
Adam Bliven
+Jason Higdon Right but all killer no filler !
Sparky Josh
Great song
aylward48
Spend 20 years crawling on my hands and knees doing termite
Inspections thru attics, crawl spaces. Takes years to get that dirt off.
Michael J
What a sick twisted song. But it’s songwriting at its best
Ryan
saw you live in destin florida,you opened for corey smith.best night of my life,thanks
Verity Butler
LOVE
The0blivion1
...name like that ya must be a bell...