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.
Like A Rolling Stone
Drive-By Truckers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
How does it feel? How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?
You've gone to the finest schools, all right
Miss Lonely, don't you know you only used to get juiced in it?
Nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
Now you gonna have to get used to it, used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis as you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say, "Do you wanna make a deal?"
How does it feel? How does it feel
To be on your own with no direction home
A complete unknown like a rolling stone?
Oh, you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You should never let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that he really wasn't where it's at?
After he take from you everything he could steal
How does it feel? How does it feel
Yeah, to be on your own with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, just like a rolling stone?
Oh, princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're all drinkin', thinkin' that they got, got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts but you better take your diamond ring
You better, you better pawn it, babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel? How does it feel
To be on your own with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?
Just like a rolling stone
The lyrics to "Like A Rolling Stone" by Drive-By Truckers are a cover of a Bob Dylan classic, and explore the idea of a once privileged and successful person who has fallen on hard times and become a complete unknown. The singer addresses Miss Lonely, who used to throw money at the poor but is now in the same situation herself. The people she used to laugh at are now laughing at her. The question repeated throughout the song, "How does it feel?" is a rhetorical one meant to highlight her struggle and isolation.
The second verse talks about how Miss Lonely had everything given to her, from attending the finest schools to never having to live on the streets. Now, she is forced to adapt to a new way of life. She also realizes that the "mystery tramp" she refused to compromise with before is now her potential ally. The chorus repeats once more, emphasizing the singer's point of view that being an unknown is a difficult, lonely place to be.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Back in the day, you were wealthy and everything seemed great.
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
You had so much money that you gave it to the less fortunate without a second thought.
People'd call, say, 'Beware doll, you're bound to fall'
Others warned you that your extravagant lifestyle wouldn't last forever and that it could lead to your downfall.
You thought they were all kiddin' you
But you didn't take their warnings seriously and thought they were joking.
You used to laugh about everybody that was hangin' out
You used to mock and look down on those who weren't as affluent as you were and who preferred to live a simple life.
Now you don't talk so loud
Now that you're no longer wealthy, you're not as arrogant and brash as you used to be.
Now you don't seem so proud
You're no longer boastful or haughty about your previous status in life.
About having to be scrounging for your next meal
Instead, you're now struggling to find your next meal, which is a stark contrast to your previous lavish lifestyle.
How does it feel? How does it feel
The singer questions how it feels to experience such extreme changes in one's life.
To be without a home
Without a place to call home and feeling lost in the world.
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?
Feeling like an outcast and disconnected from society, much like a rolling stone that has no fixed place to be.
You've gone to the finest schools, all right
The singer acknowledges that you had access to the best education.
Miss Lonely, don't you know you only used to get juiced in it?
Despite your education, you lacked real-life experience and only enjoyed the party scene at school.
Nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
However, your privileged upbringing did not prepare you for life on the streets.
Now you gonna have to get used to it, used to it
But now, you'll have to acclimate and learn to survive on your own on the streets.
You said you'd never compromise
The singer reminds you of your past statement about never compromising your beliefs and principles.
With the mystery tramp but now you realize
However, you've now found yourself in a position where you're considering making deals with people you would have once looked down upon.
He's not selling any alibis as you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
The singer suggests that this person doesn't have anything to offer you in return and you're left feeling empty and unfulfilled.
And say, 'Do you wanna make a deal?'
Despite the lack of potential benefits, you're still considering making a deal with this individual.
Yeah, to be on your own with no direction home
The singer reiterates the idea of being alone and lost in the world with no clear path or destination.
Oh, you never turned around to see the frowns
Despite once having everything, you were oblivious to the struggles of those around you.
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
Even when others tried to entertain and please you, you never truly appreciated their efforts.
You never understood that it ain't no good
The singer suggests that relying on others to provide you with happiness is ultimately unfulfilling.
You should never let other people get your kicks for you
One must learn to find joy and fulfillment within themselves and not rely on others for it.
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
The singer references your previous extravagant lifestyle, where you would ride in luxurious cars and associate with distinguished diplomats.
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
To further emphasize your extravagance, the diplomat carries a valuable and exotic pet on his shoulder.
Ain't it hard when you discover that he really wasn't where it's at?
However, now that you are no longer wealthy, you realize that it was all superficial and not truly fulfilling.
After he take from you everything he could steal
Despite once being close with this diplomat, he essentially took everything from you and left you with nothing.
Oh, princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
The singer references the elite class and the privileged, using a princess on a steeple as a symbol of high status.
They're all drinkin', thinkin' that they got, got it made
However, the singer suggests that these people are delusional in thinking that their wealth and status will last forever.
Exchanging all precious gifts but you better take your diamond ring
While these people may exchange expensive gifts, the singer advises you to pawn your valuable possessions, such as a diamond ring, for survival purposes.
You better, you better pawn it, babe
The dire situation you find yourself in requires you to make sacrifices and let go of material possessions for basic necessities.
You used to be so amused
The singer reminds you of your previous carefree and frivolous attitude towards life.
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Even to the point of finding amusement in someone who was once considered great but is now impoverished and dressed in rags.
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
Ironically, now that you find yourself in a similar situation, the singer suggests that you can no longer refuse the help and support of those who may have once been in your position.
When you ain't got nothing you got nothing to lose
Since you have lost everything, you now have the freedom to take risks and make decisions without much to lose.
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal
The singer suggests that you are now invisible and without secrets, as when you had power and wealth, but you are now more genuine and authentic.
How does it feel? How does it feel
The singer questions how it feels to be in this position, stripped of everything once held dear.
To be on your own with no direction home
Once again, the idea of being alone and lost in the world with no clear path or destination is reiterated.
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?
Feeling like an outcast and disconnected from society, much like a rolling stone that has no fixed place to be.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind