They were formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry at a special ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on September 17, 2013.
Their 2004 album "O.C.M.S." was selected by CMT (Country Music Television) as one of the top-10 bluegrass albums of that year. Their current tour includes bars, festivals, and larger venues. They are best experienced in smaller settings, where their infectious high-energy style electrifies the crowd, often a mixture of older listeners and 20-somethings.
They make frequent guest appearances on A Prairie Home Companion.
Methamphetamine
Old Crow Medicine Show Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From Rocky Mount to northeast Tennessee
Where the river flows with a dusty coal disease
And the babies whine cause they can't find nothing to eat
But mama she ain't hungry no more
She's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine
Don't need no PHD just a hundred dollar car
Find a crooked cop and that doctor disregard
You can call up the mine or the Kentucky national guard
I'd rather cut him in line than be dying in the coal yard
Now papa he ain't hungry no more
He's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine
Well it's a war out there and it's fought by poor white men
From the Plateau to the falls of the Cumberland
You better watch your back 'cause you just can't trust a friend
Because the method man is going to get you in the end
So listen to the whispering wind
It sounds like a big storm's rolling in
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine
The lyrics of "Methamphetamine" by Old Crow Medicine Show paint a picture of poverty-stricken communities in Appalachia, where people resort to making and selling methamphetamine to make ends meet. The song opens with a description of the bleak conditions in the region, where people are struggling to survive and babies are hungry. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which describes the lure of methamphetamine and its destructive effects on individuals and communities.
The chorus, "It's gonna rock you like a hurricane, Methamphetamine," compares the powerful and destructive nature of the drug to a natural disaster that leaves devastation in its wake. The verses focus on individual experiences with the drug, from finding a corrupt doctor to get a prescription to cutting in line to buy it. The song portrays a harsh reality where drug addiction is a means of survival rather than a choice.
The final verse warns listeners to be wary of those around them, as methamphetamine use can lead to betrayal and mistrust among friends and neighbors. The song also suggests that the winds of change are coming, foreshadowing a shift away from the devastation caused by drugs and economic hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Times they ain't like nothing they used to be
The world has changed and things are not as they once were
From Rocky Mount to northeast Tennessee
The specific region being referred to in this song includes Rocky Mount and northeast Tennessee
Where the river flows with a dusty coal disease
The river in the region described is polluted with coal dust and causes health issues
And the babies whine cause they can't find nothing to eat
Children in this area are hungry and suffering due to poverty
But mama she ain't hungry no more
Mothers in this region might turn to methamphetamine to suppress their appetite and cope with the challenging conditions
She's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
Drug dealers might come knocking on the trailer door to sell them the methamphetamine
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine use will significantly impact your life in a negative way
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
Using methamphetamine will cause insomnia and sleep deprivation
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
Addiction to methamphetamine can lead to job loss and financial instability
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
One might lose their home, become homeless, or resort to illegal activity to obtain money to buy more methamphetamine
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
Methamphetamine addiction can be so severe that one might feel powerless and desperate
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
One might beg, borrow or steal to feed their addiction
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
The negative impact on your life resulting from addiction to methamphetamine will be significant
Don't need no PHD just a hundred dollar car
One doesn't need a degree to find methamphetamine, they can easily obtain it just by driving a cheap car to the right place
Find a crooked cop and that doctor disregard
People might look for corrupt law enforcement and doctors who won't follow proper procedures to obtain methamphetamine
You can call up the mine or the Kentucky national guard
One might have to resort to desperate measures like calling up the national guard or mining for coal in order to somehow get more methamphetamine
I'd rather cut him in line than be dying in the coal yard
People might resort to unethical behavior like cutting in line or stepping over people to get more methamphetamine than suffering the dangerous work in the coal yard
Now papa he ain't hungry no more
Fathers in this area might also use methamphetamine to suppress their appetite
He's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
Drug dealers are likely to go knocking on the trailer doors of the impoverished community to sell their methamphetamine
Well it's a war out there and it's fought by poor white men
The struggle with addiction to methamphetamine is often waged among poor communities, particularly poor white communities
From the Plateau to the falls of the Cumberland
The geographic area in question extends from the Plateau to the falls of the Cumberland River
You better watch your back 'cause you just can't trust a friend
The level of addiction to methamphetamine can lead to paranoia and loss of trust among friends
Because the method man is going to get you in the end
The high likelihood of death or severe health consequences from methamphetamine addiction is always looming
So listen to the whispering wind
The wind is a metaphor for the coming storm that represents addiction to methamphetamine
It sounds like a big storm's rolling in
The wave of addiction to methamphetamine is growing and the impact will only get worse
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
The negative impact of methamphetamine addiction will be earthshaking and profound
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
Methamphetamine addiction will severely impact one's ability to get rest
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
One's addiction will likely cause them to lose their job and suffer financial consequences
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
Addiction could cause one to lose their home or resort to illegal activities
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
Addiction will cause feelings of desperation and powerlessness
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
Addiction will lead to desperate actions like begging others for resources
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
The damage caused by addiction to methamphetamine is serious and catastrophic
Methamphetamine
The song is about the dangers of addiction to methamphetamine
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID RAWLINGS, KETCH SECOR, DAVID TODD RAWLINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
William Christy
@Jaseeka Rawr I hate to break it to you-- but you're wrong. In fact, you don't seem to have a particularly good understanding of politics at all, stemming from a seeming incomprehension of history.
Our culture broke down because of industrialization, not capitalism. Farming is directly tied to natural cycles, and slow enough to effectively mandate its own end. There's only so much work that can be done on a farm before nothing else need be done-- most importantly due to harvest, but similar could be said about day-by-day operations. This meant that most people in historic societies held jobs wherein their free-time was guaranteed by the nature of their work. This led to cultural events-- numerous festivals and holidays throughout the year, all but the most important of which are no longer practiced. This is true, despite the fact they had to work harder and longer due to worse technology. In fact, in some places, there'd be entire hours of the mid-day that no work would be done.
Industrialization broke this by causing a massive amount of physical migration, which disrupted the natural culture of various areas. This would eventually heal if not for the far bigger concern-- a fundamental change in the type of work most people were doing. Manufacturing jobs have always been year-round, with production being regulated first-and-foremost by the amount of man-hours put in, and the equipment used. Thus people were incentivized to remain at work longer, eliminating days once regulated for festivals. Inherently speaking, this has nothing to do with capitalism. If the citizenry remained peasants during the era, the factories would simply have been staffed by slaves. This was also true across all communist countries in the 1900s. It was further shattered as we obtained modern luxuries. Climate control eliminates the need to take time away from work to heat your home, or to cool off due to the sun. Laundry machines mean that people aren't spending as much time washing clothes. Electric stoves eliminate the need for chopping firewood. So on, and so forth.
Combine this with the later trend of both parents working. Now children are overwhelming spending their time with babysitters and schools, instead of being raised by their parents. This means that both parents have less time to introduce traditions to their kids. Children spend more time in sterilized environments that don't necessarily represent the culture of their community. Again, less time for community get-togethers.
By far the worst considered part of what you said has to be ties to media. Every classical composer received money for their work. Culture has never been free. It's always had a price-tag. Musicians used to fetch a lot of money from either the Church, Wealthy merchants, or landed gentry, for the practice of their craft. Everyone is aware that chapels used to pay good money to the architects that built them. Raphael wasn't poor. Da Vinci wasn't poor. Titian didn't work for free. In fact, my personal favorite genre of art, Dutch still-life painting, both precedes the existence of capitalism, and was primarily sold to middle-class families.
In other words, the bedrock of our culture is built upon the backs of people selling their skills as artists to those willing to pay.
This raises the question, necessarily, of "Then what actually caused the decline of media?"
And the answer is fairly obvious. Our culture used to be built around the idea of the live performance. Now, everything is digital. Music can therefore be marketed to everyone. Radio wants music it can put on to attract as many dissatisfied-but-still-present listeners as possible to justify its continued existence. This creates an audience who is used to hearing the songs, and is thus willing to spend money on albums with their favorites, which in turn promotes the further creation of mainstream content. Whereas Mozart could target his music to a specific audience, today's music is supposed to sell to as many people as possible. Again, this isn't strictly Capitalism's fault, it's caused by the difference in distribution and access. If capitalism can be blamed for anything, it's allowing an abstract enough economic form that musicians don't have to work fields all day.
At least, that's true of the mainstream (which itself is an artificial construction that can only exist in that form. If it didn't appeal to everyone, it wouldn't be popular enough to be mainstream). In reality, at least in music, media hasn't truly gone downhill. Instead, people are beginning to directly access the niche musical groups in the 'scene' of various genres. In the realm of country/bluegrass, groups like the Dead South, Barton Carrol, Colter Wall, et. Cetera are finding levels of success they wouldn't have been able to in previous eras due to easier access of customers. One might be able to construct similar arguments for a band like Powerwolf, from the metal scene, but I'm less into the genre.
We see similar in gaming. AAA video games are all regarded as the worst-- hampered by the massive bureaucratic method of development. Indie games are seen as significantly better, though often with monetary and technological restrictions that hold back the potential of the game.
GuyFromSouth
Times, they ain't like nothing they used to be
From rocky mount' to northeast tennessee
Where the river flows with a dusty, cold disease
And the babies whine cause they can't find nothing to eat
But, mama, she ain't hungry no more
She's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine
Don't need no phd for a hundred dollar card
Just find a crooked cop and that doctor disregard
Cause when it's either the mine or the kentucky national guard
Um, I'd rather sell him a line than to be dying in the coal yard
Now, papa, he ain't hungry no more
He's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine
Well, it's a war out there, and it's fought by poor white men
From the plateau to the falls of the cumberland
You better watch your back, 'cause you just can't trust a friend
And the method man is going to get you in the end
So listen to the whispering wind
It sounds like a big storm rolling in
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine
Joshua Sizemore
Times, they ain't like nothing they used to be
From rocky mount' to northeast Tennessee
Where the river flows with a dusty, coal disease
And the babies whine cause they can't find nothing to eat
But, mama, she ain't hungry no more
She's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
[Chorus]
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
It's gonna rock you 'til you lose sleep
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out of a job
It's gonna rock you 'til you're out on the street
It's gonna rock you 'til you're down on your knees
It's gonna have you begging pretty please
It's gonna rock you like a hurricane
Methamphetamine
Don't need no PhD for a hundred dollar card
Just find a crooked cop and that doctor disregard
Cause when it's either the mine or the Kentucky national guard
Um, I'd rather sell him a line than to be dying in the coal yard
Now, papa, he ain't hungry no more
He's waiting for a knock on the trailer door
[Chorus]
Well, it's a war out there, and it's fought by poor white men
From the plateau to the falls of the Cumberland
You better watch your back, cause you just can't trust a friend
And the method man is going to get you in the end
So listen to the whispering wind
It sounds like a big storm rolling in
[Chorus]
makeupbaby26
This song describes meth addiction perfectly, I honestly cried. 14 months clean as of January 1st!
SPARKYTUTTLE2
@Norman Kendall , Are you still with us? Reading your comments, I could feel the hell and torment coming from your soul. My daughter suffered from meth and booze. She didn't suffer alone, people who loved her also suffered. I'm her mother and I can't tell you how ripped my soul was watching her spiral out of control. She started at 14. She continued past the state taking her first 3 children, all at once. My grandchildren. She's my only child and I made 10,000 mistakes raising her. I wish I had known then what I know now. But I didn't. I believe most people are trying to do the best they can with the knowledge they have. That includes you. 15 years ago my daughter turned herself into a rehab that allowed women to keep their children because she was pregnant again. She stayed for 2 years. Gave birth to Anna Ray Hope and remained there for the 1st year of Anna's life. My daughter got out, got an apartment, bought a car and worked her way up to management. Relapsed. Lost it all except Anna. Got sober. Kicked ass. Relapsed. She went through this several times. But she has fought hard. Anna just turned 14. My daughter just turned 42. She has been as low as you. She has wanted to give up. But we know too many people who died because they could not imagine how life could feel wonderful again. They could not imagine feeling the wind on their faces again. They had given up. No addiction begins from the first time you take something. It's a trauma that you may not even see. Think back. Then remember you are worth fighting for. Who knows whose life you may save in the future. There is an old saying, 'Fall down seven times. Get up eight.' I pray you are still getting up.
Tj Smith
11 months clean from everything
Dani Syx
@baphxulmet congratulations I'm sneaking up on my first year I can't believe it honestly.
baphxulmet
3 years clean I dont know how I found this but this is a great song it got me the feels goin it made me crybaby
Aaron Williams
Congrats! 4 years here!
Matt Connor
This is some hardcore white man's Blues, right here.
God bless all the folks here fighting the good fight. I lost my son to demon Heroin 5 years ago. Please come back Brendan, my heart is broken.
Jack Shallcross
@johnny stafford "Time's they ain't like nothin' they used to be." I wish we could go back to the simpler world of the past.
Amy B
❤️❤️🙏
Suzann Renee
I am so sorry for your losses..