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.
Wednesday
Drive-By Truckers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That weighed more to him than paper and some ink
It had a hint of something darker and a hint of something sweet
And a little extra glue right on the tip
There was something in the pain that shot right through him
As he climbed up to the place he called his home
They say every man's house should be his palace
But his castle stank of cat shit and alone
So he opened it and found a faded picture
Of a girl he's never met, but somehow seen
Like a memory of a dream from early childhood
Like a virgin's idea of release
She said "I can bend my arms until they're backward
But you can't bend your will to take in mine
And I could hold my breath until next Wednesday
And still be doing fine"
He was sad in ways he couldn't tell her
Though she could make his sadness all her own
He couldn't see the use in spreading sadness
So he took his dark depression and went home
She saw things in him he never bargained
But it wasn't enough to save either one of them
Because she took that sadness one step further
And left him all alone to face the end
The lyrics to Drive-By Truckers’ “Wednesday” depict a man who receives a mysterious envelope, which contains a faded picture of a girl he has never met. The envelope seems to hold something significant to him, something that weighs more than just paper and ink, something that has a hint of both darkness and sweetness. As the man climbs up to his castle, which reeks of cat feces and loneliness, he ponders on the strange envelope’s content. The girl in the picture reminds him of a memory from early childhood or a dream, but she affects him profoundly. She appears to understand his deep sadness and offers to share it with him, in a way that seems to comfort him. However, he is unable to express or comprehend his emotions and decides to go home, where he can wallow in his darkness alone.
The song touches on themes of isolation, longing, and the inexplicable ties people have to one another, even when they have never met. The singer is unable to articulate his emotions or form a real connection with the girl in the photo, but her presence deeply affects him. He is trapped in his own castle of loneliness, unable to share his sadness or bond with others. Ultimately, the song illustrates the pervasive sense of hopelessness that can pervade our lives, and the angst that comes from being unable to express our struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
There was something in the envelope she passed him
The envelope contained more than just paper and ink.
That weighed more to him than paper and some ink
The contents of the envelope had a significant emotional impact on him.
It had a hint of something darker and a hint of something sweet
The contents of the envelope contained both positive and negative elements.
And a little extra glue right on the tip
The envelope was sealed with care.
There was something in the pain that shot right through him
He experienced physical discomfort as he went about his day.
As he climbed up to the place he called his home
He was heading back to his residence.
They say every man's house should be his palace
A man's home should be comfortable and beautiful.
But his castle stank of cat shit and alone
His living space was unpleasant.
So he opened it and found a faded picture
He opened the envelope to see its contents more clearly.
Of a girl he's never met, but somehow seen
The girl in the picture was not someone he was familiar with.
Like a memory of a dream from early childhood
The image of her was hazy in his mind, like a distant memory.
Like a virgin's idea of release
The picture represented something he longed for, but had never experienced before.
She said "I can bend my arms until they're backward
The girl in the picture made a statement to him.
But you can't bend your will to take in mine
He couldn't meet her expectations or desires.
And I could hold my breath until next Wednesday
The girl in the picture felt that she could endure anything and still be okay.
And still be doing fine"
Her resilience was admirable.
He was sad in ways he couldn't tell her
He was experiencing profound sadness and couldn't express it to anyone, including her.
Though she could make his sadness all her own
She had the capacity to empathize with him deeply.
He couldn't see the use in spreading sadness
He didn't want to burden her with his troubles and didn't see the point in sharing his sadness with anyone.
So he took his dark depression and went home
He retreated into himself and withdrew from the world around him.
She saw things in him he never bargained
She recognized qualities in him that he didn't realize he possessed.
But it wasn't enough to save either one of them
Their connection wasn't strong enough to overcome their individual struggles.
Because she took that sadness one step further
She couldn't handle his sadness and it ultimately caused their relationship to fall apart.
And left him all alone to face the end
She left him when he needed her the most.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Patterson Hood, Brad Morgan, Jason Isbell, Mike Cooley, Shonna Tucker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Danny Comer
Tom Petty, Marshal Tucker, and Lynard Skynard rolled into one. Fabulous!
J Cz
One of the best EVER!!!!
TiebethTheNinja
Random clicking brought me here, first time i have heard this band & i'm very impressed.
wheelmanstan
He was sad in ways he couldn't tell her Though she could make his sadness all her own He couldn't see the use in spreading sadness So he took his dark depression and went home She saw things in him he never bargained But it wasn't enough to save either one of them Because she took that sadness one step further And left him all alone to face the end