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.
Decoration Day
Drive-By Truckers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've a mind to roll a stone on his grave
But what would he say
"Keeping me down, boy, won't keep you away"
It's Decoration Day
And I knew the Hill Boys would put him away
But my Daddy wasn't afraid
I never knew how it all got started
A problem with Holland before we were born
And I don't know the name of that boy we tied down
And beat 'til he just couldn't walk anymore
But I know the caliber in daddy's chest
And I know what Holland Hill drives
The state let him go, but I guess it was best
'Cause nobody needs all us Lawson's alive
Daddy said one of the boys had come by
The lumber man's favorite son
He said "Beat him real good, but don't dare let him die
And if you see Holland Hill run"
Now I said, "They ain't give us trouble before
That we ain't brought down on ourselves"
But a chain on my back and my ear to the floor
And I'll send all the Hill Boys to hell
I'll send all the Hill Boys to hell
It's Decoration Day
And I've got a family in Mobile Bay
And they've never seen my daddy's grave
But that don't bother me, it ain't marked anyway
'Cause I got dead brothers in Lauderdale South
And I got dead brothers in East Tennessee
My Daddy got shot right in front of his house
He had no one to fall on but me
It's Decoration Day
And I've a mind to go spit on his grave
If I was a Hill, I'd have put him away
And I'd fight 'til the last Lawson's last living day
I'd fight 'til the last Lawson's last living day
I'd fight 'til the last Lawson's last living day
The lyrics of Drive-By Truckers' "Decoration Day" tell the story of a family feud that has been going on for generations. The singer of the song is a member of the Lawson family who is visiting his father's grave on Decoration Day. He is contemplating rolling a stone on the grave of someone who he refers to as "him," presumably a member of the Hill family, who the Lawsons have been feuding with for years. The singer's father was killed in the feud, leaving the singer to take care of his dead brothers and the family's honor.
The song mentions a problem with Holland, likely a member of the Hill family, before the singer was born. The singer also mentions not knowing the name of a boy the Lawsons beat until he couldn't walk anymore. The Lawsons were known to be a violent family, and they seem to have a particular hatred for the Hill family. The song also mentions that Holland Hill was let go by the state, presumably for some crime, but the singer seems to think that he should have been punished.
The singer is consumed by bitterness and revenge, wishing that he was a Hill so he could have put "him" away. He mentions dead brothers in Lauderdale South and East Tennessee, showing how the feud has spread throughout the family. The song ends with the singer stating that he would fight until the last Lawson's last living day.
Overall, "Decoration Day" is a powerful song that tells the story of a deep-seated family feud and its terrible consequences. It's a raw and emotional song that doesn't strive to be politically correct or sugarcoat the realities of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
It's Decoration Day
It's the day for honoring the memory of the dead.
And I've a mind to roll a stone on his grave
I want to throw a rock on my enemy's grave to express my anger and frustration.
But what would he say
My enemy would mock me, telling me that I could not defeat him even in death.
"Keeping me down, boy, won't keep you away"
My enemy's legacy will not stop me from continuing to live my life.
And I knew the Hill Boys would put him away
I was sure that the Hill Boys would kill my enemy.
But my Daddy wasn't afraid
My father was brave and fearless.
He said "We'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day"
My father promised to keep fighting until every member of our family was dead.
I never knew how it all got started
I don't know the origin of the conflict with the Hill Boys.
A problem with Holland before we were born
There was a dispute with the Holland family that goes back generations.
And I don't know the name of that boy we tied down
I don't remember the name of the person we tortured and beat up.
And beat 'til he just couldn't walk anymore
We inflicted so much pain on him that he was unable to move afterward.
But I know the caliber in daddy's chest
I know my father was an honorable man who would do anything to protect his family.
And I know what Holland Hill drives
I know the Hill Boys are motivated by deep-seated rivalries and hatred.
The state let him go, but I guess it was best
The authorities released a member of the Hill family from jail, but it was probably for the best because it prevented more violence.
'Cause nobody needs all us Lawson's alive
There are too many members of our family alive, so something needs to be done to reduce our numbers.
Daddy said one of the boys had come by
My father was warned that one of the Hill Boys was coming.
The lumber man's favorite son
This Hill family member was highly regarded by the local lumber industry.
He said "Beat him real good, but don't dare let him die
My father gave us instructions to severely beat the Hill family member, but not to kill him.
And if you see Holland Hill run"
If we see Holland Hill, the leader of the Hill Boys, we were supposed to chase him down and confront him.
Now I said, "They ain't give us trouble before
I argued that the Hill Boys had not caused us any problems, and that we were the ones stirring up trouble.
That we ain't brought down on ourselves"
I acknowledged that we had brought most of our troubles upon ourselves.
But a chain on my back and my ear to the floor
I am still vigilant and listening for any signs of trouble.
And I'll send all the Hill Boys to hell
I am determined to take revenge on the Hill Boys and kill them all.
And I've got a family in Mobile Bay
I have relatives who live in Mobile Bay, Alabama.
And they've never seen my daddy's grave
My relatives have never visited the grave of my father.
But that don't bother me, it ain't marked anyway
I am not bothered by the fact that my father's grave is unmarked.
'Cause I got dead brothers in Lauderdale South
I have brothers who are buried in Lauderdale County, Alabama.
And I got dead brothers in East Tennessee
I also have brothers who are buried in East Tennessee.
My Daddy got shot right in front of his house
My father was killed right in front of his house.
He had no one to fall on but me
I was the only person who was there to support my father when he died.
And I've a mind to go spit on his grave
I feel so much hate towards my enemy that I want to spit on his grave.
If I was a Hill, I'd have put him away
If I belonged to the Hill family, I would have killed my enemy a long time ago.
And I'd fight 'til the last Lawson's last living day
I would be willing to fight until every member of the Lawson family was dead.
I'd fight 'til the last Lawson's last living day
I am committed to fighting against the Hill Boys until I or the last member of my family is dead.
I'd fight 'til the last Lawson's last living day
I will continue fighting until the last member of the Lawson family is alive.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jason Isbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
IT Gypsy
It's Decoration Day.
And I've a mind to roll a stone on his grave.
But what would he say.
Keeping me down, boy, won't keep me away.
It's Decoration Day.
And I knew the Hill Boys would put us away,
But my Daddy wasn't afraid.
He said we'll fight till the last Lawson's last living day
I never knew how it all got started
A problem with Holland before we were born
And I don't know the name of that boy we tied down
And beat till he just couldn't walk anymore.
But I know the caliber in daddy's chest
And I know what Holland Hill drives.
The state let him go, but I guess it was best
'Cause nobody needs all us Lawson's alive.
Daddy said one of the boys had come by
The lumber man's favorite son.
He said, beat him real good but don't dare let him die
And if you see Holland Hill run.
Now I said, they ain't give us trouble no more
That we ain't brought down on ourselves
But a chain on my back and my ear to the floor
And I'll send all the Hill Boys to hell.
It's Decoration Day
And I've got a family in Mobile Bay
And they've never seen my daddy's grave.
But that don't bother me, it ain't marked anyway.
'Cause I got dead brothers in Lauderdale south
And I got dead brothers in east Tennessee.
My Daddy got shot right in front of his house
He had no one to fall on but me.
It's Decoration Day
And I've got a mind to go spit on his grave.
If I was a hill, I'd have put him away
And I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
Steve Cabral
If you were a young kid joining a band of veterans coming off their biggest album to date, would you prefer to sink into the background and not get in the way? Or would you have the stones to step in and write songs to compete with the ones that were penned by your established bandmates. On the 2003 Drive-By Truckers album Decoration Day, Jason Isbell, the neophyte in that scenario, chose the latter, and contributed two instant classics in “Outfit” and the title track.
Much has been made of Isbell’s rocky tenure with DBT, especially considering his now-soaring solo career. But in a recent interview with Men’s Journal, Isbell expressed gratitude at his time spent in the band. “There were more positives than negatives by a long shot,” he said. “You know, to go in and be accepted by that band, to be doing something that was really magical, weird, violent, vulgar, extreme …”
All of those adjectives can apply to “Decoration Day,” one of the earliest examples of Isbell’s knack as a story-song master. It’s a song where he drops us into a long-simmering feud between the Hills and the Lawsons, one that you might presume is too wild and sordid to be true, until you do a quick search and realize that it is true, and that Isbell was distantly related to Holland Hill, the antagonist in the tale. That he chooses to instead tell the tale from the perspective of the remaining Lawson seems to be Isbell’s sly way of admitting the futility of taking sides in such a seemingly senseless episode.
“Decoration Day” is meant to be a time for remembering those we’ve lost, but the protagonist seems as if he’d just as soon forget all that has transpired. His dead father warns the younger Lawson about covering up his grave: “Keeping me down, boy, won’t keep you away.” From there, he recounts the story’s violent details, how his own part in beating up one of the Hill clan precipitated revenge when Holland shot Lawson’s father in front of him.
“Well, I never knew how it all got started,” Lawson says, admitting that the origins of this feud have long since ceased to matter even as the violence continues. Lawson’s father demands that he beat up one of Hill’s sons, Hill kills the father, and on it goes. The younger Lawson’s protestations show glimpses of self-awareness: “Well I said, ‘They ain’t give us trouble before/ We ain’t brought down on ourselves.’” And yet he finds himself unable to break away from the cycle: “But a chain on my back, my ear to the floor/ And I’ll send all the Hill boys to hell.”
Lawson goes on to talk about all of the tragedy his family has encountered, ending with the death of the patriarch: “My Daddy got shot right in front of his house/ He had no one to fall on but me.” In the closing verse, Isbell reveals how pointless all of this has been, making this tale even more heartbreaking somehow: “It’s Decoration Day/ And I’ve got a mind to go spit on his grave/ If I’d been a Hill, I’d have put him away/ And I’d fight till the last Lawson’s last living day.”
It is practically miraculous that Isbell was able to tell the story thoroughly enough that we understand it while still giving the protagonist such a rich inner life. “Decoration Day,” complimented by the rolling musical thunder of the The Drive-By Truckers, was one of his first classics. Many more have followed since.
Austin Williams
This song is too good for most radio stations to play. Could you imagine radio programmers with good stuff like this to play? Their feeble minds would explode.
Randy Sanders
And that's precisely why they're all going extinct. Soon it'll be nothing but Fat Limbaugh and Southern preaching across the airwaves.
Seth Brown
It is offensive to me how underrated this band is.
James Romano
Criminally underrated. Didn't even discover this band until Criminal Minds season 3
Kerry held
OMFG Yes!!! It’s fucking CRIMINAL
Mudflower Music
Amen
Brin Craft
Seth Brown god damn right!
Jason M
I can't remember how I discovered this band/song but it kills me every time I listen to it. True storytelling. The lyric when he says "he had no one to fall on but me" I die every time. Beautiful and tragic.
Daniel Lytle
For me , it was a random girlfriend in a random summer
Sam
This track is simply a masterpiece.