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.
The Opening Act
Drive-By Truckers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he gets knocked off and I think he's hurt,
It's a bitch facing facts and figures
There's a band on stage that used to be huge
They sound on but no one's listening
They're told to turn down and they politely oblige
Ain't no such thing as a free ride
It's just the opening slot and I hit my mark and split as the crowd is thinning
The man's on the guest list so I guess it will be alright...
So the paramedics arrive and they haul off that Urban Bovine Knievel
I see my friend and give him all my money and tell myself it's a necessary evil
And it's all such a fleeting thing so I'd best try and enjoy it
So much beauty and just enough time to figure out how to destroy it
I'm just the opening act
And it ain't my crowd and it ain't my night but I'd be lying if I said I can't relate
I'm just the opening act and the van is packed and I'm hauling ass to another state
And I'm driving north as the sun was rising over a Technicolor horizon
I reached out to touch you but you're not there, a thousand miles away from here
I turned up the radio, heard some preacher talking salvation
My tank is half full and I reached over and changed the station
I'm just the opening act
The song "The Opening Act" by Drive-By Truckers is about the experience of being a touring musician, specifically the opening act, and the ups and downs that come with it. The song opens with a description of a mechanical bull ride gone wrong, with the fat man being thrown off and potentially injured. This introduces a theme of disappointment and facing harsh realities, which is further explored in the lyrics about the washed-up band on stage that no one is listening to.
The song is ultimately about the realization that even fleeting moments of beauty can be destroyed, and it's up to the individual to find meaning and enjoyment in the experience despite its impermanence. The opening act, as a metaphor for life in general, can be seen as a stepping stone towards greater success, but also as a reminder that success is never guaranteed.
The lyrics are poignant and reflective, capturing the feeling of being on the road as a musician and the highs and lows that come with it. The melancholic guitar riff and gentle, melodic vocals add to the introspective and wistful mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a big fat man on a mechanical bull in slow motion like Debra Winger
There is a large man on a mechanical bull who moves in a slow-motion similar to Debra Winger, the actress.
And he gets knocked off and I think he's hurt
The man on the bull gets thrown off, which makes the singer presume that he might be injured.
It's a bitch facing facts and figures
It is arduous to accept and deal with objective information and statistics.
There's a band on stage that used to be huge
A band that was previously popular is currently performing on stage.
They sound on but no one's listening
The band is playing well, but none of the audience members are paying attention.
They're told to turn down and they politely oblige
Someone instructs the band to play at a lower volume, and the band complies graciously.
Ain't no such thing as a free ride
There is no such thing as a free and easy path to get to where you wish to go in life.
It ain't my problem and it ain't my show and I ain't being condescending
The artist is not being derisive, and holds no responsibility for the concert that's not going as planned.
It's just the opening slot and I hit my mark and split as the crowd is thinning
The performance is just the opening act, the artist completes it successfully, and as the crowd leaves, they go away.
The man's on the guest list so I guess it will be alright...
The man on the guest list will attend the concert, which means everything might be okay.
So the paramedics arrive and they haul off that Urban Bovine Knievel
The paramedics show up to take away the injured man who rode the mechanical bull.
I see my friend and give him all my money and tell myself it's a necessary evil
The artist passes their remaining money to their friend, with the thought that it's a necessary action despite its negative impact on them.
And it's all such a fleeting thing so I'd best try and enjoy it
All experiences are so temporary that the singer should strive and enjoy them.
So much beauty and just enough time to figure out how to destroy it
The world contains a lot of beauty, but there is an exact amount of time to learn how to ruin it.
And it ain't my crowd and it ain't my night but I'd be lying if I said I can't relate
It is not the singer's crowd or evening, but if they say they can't empathize, they'd be fibbing themselves.
I'm just the opening act and the van is packed and I'm hauling ass to another state
The artist is just the opening act, as they travel to another state in a van with other people.
And I'm driving north as the sun was rising over a Technicolor horizon
The artist is driving towards the north while the sun comes up over a stunning, colorful horizon.
I reached out to touch you but you're not there, a thousand miles away from here
The singer tried to touch someone, but the person wasn't with them, indicating a considerable distance between them.
I turned up the radio, heard some preacher talking salvation
The singer increases the volume on the radio and hears a preacher speaking about redemption.
My tank is half full and I reached over and changed the station
The fuel tank in the vehicle is half-filled, and the artist changes the radio station by turning some knobs.
I'm just the opening act
The artist continuously reiterates that they are merely the opening act of the show.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: PATTERSON HOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrPhilosofly
this song is the most mellow existential crisis i have ever heard. one of the best...
Vaughn Robinson
AND I SEE MY FRIEND N GIVE HIM ALL MY MONEY; N TELL MYSELF; " ITS A NECESSARY EVIL". STORY OF MY LIFE...
wheelmanstan
man i love this song and album, I wonder how many bands can relate to this, all? lol Man, listen to some of DBT and then watch some squidbillies, you'll be in heaven lol
wheelmanstan
I agree, and the dirty south album is like all those burt reynolds 1970's films all wrapped in one, amazing A couple great new films ya might like with a drive by truckers feel "winters bone" "shotgun stories", in case you haven't seen em.
christopher kays
This is one of my favorite songs it haunts my dreams.