Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day
I’m gonna get to Jason Isbell. The track is “Speed Trap Town.” What I hate about the media is they focus on the work track, the one the label promotes that it believes will appeal to the most, mostly those who do not care, whereas “Speed Trap Town” is a quiet, intimate song you’ll never hear on the radio that will draw you into your alienation and loneliness and make you believe in music as the most powerful artistic medium and make you wonder where Nashville went. But having said all that…
Luke Bryan’s new album is loaded with hits, it’s not a disappointment, but it’s this one song that closed me immediately, that I liked from first listen, that too will probably not ever be played on the radio.
Not that “Speed Trap Town” and “Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day” are the same song or mood, the latter is slower too, but what “Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day” is about is the dream, what if we could do only what we wanted to do, 24/7…
I tried that. In Utah. Oh, I had to work a day job, but the truth is it’s the people who got to me, they had no ambition, and only wanted to talk skiing all day, and after a month you’ve covered it all, but that does not mean I don’t love the mountains, sliding down the hill. And now with the high speed lifts and modern communication techniques such that you can live and work anywhere/everywhere that is my dream, to get a few hours in every day, not to be a weekend warrior, but to be wedded to my desire, just like Luke Bryan wants to hunt, fish and love.
And the truth is if the lyrics were about something completely different, “Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day” would still be a killer. It’s kind of like those long tracks of yore, the slow burners you played in your dorm room, taped for play in your car, that set your mind free as you contemplated this great nation of ours. And the truth is the music rooted you, made it all make sense.
There’s a lot of magic before Luke even starts to sing. The axes start to twang, set the mood, and then Luke starts singin’ “Whoa-oh-oh” and you’re suddenly in the church of rock and roll, and if you don’t think today’s country is the rock they said would never die, you haven’t listened.
If I could make a livin’ from walkin’ in the woods
You can bet I’d be sittin’ pretty good
High on a hill, looking at a field downwind
There’s the conundrum. Do we follow our heart’s desire or do what society tells us. Do we even get a choice? Used to be we did, back when there was a middle class and you could survive on minimum wage, I certainly did, in both Los Angeles and Sandy, Utah. But today you’re either on the road to success or you’re left behind. And no one wants to marry a loser. And soon you do what’s practical and leave your heart’s desire behind, just ask all those freshly minted MBAs working on Wall Street with no free time.
I love it when my baby wants to roll with me
Throws her boots on, climbs in a tree
Tuckin’ her hair in my hat and she’s ready to go
Want to endear yourself to your man? Be game, do what he does, nothing will put a smile on his face more. He’ll suddenly deliver whatever you want, your heart’s desire, all he’s looking for is a friend, a companion, one who gets him instead of ribbing him, like his buddies.
But like I said, the magic in “Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day” is not the lyrics, but the music. The advantage of being Nashville’s biggest star is you get to play with the biggest and best players. It’s Nashville keeping Guitar Center alive. When you hear these guys wail… And they don’t get these sounds at home, they work in the big studio with pros and the sound is so rich you want nothing so much as to part the curtain and get inside, immerse yourself in the sound.
So while y’all are up there
Breathin’ in that old dirty air
I’ll be down here, knee deep, in the Muckalee
That’s the truth, life is for the living, those on the accumulation path, of money and fame, are rarely as happy as those who know it’s all about experience and feeling. You don’t have to be Donald Trump, drive a Ferrari and date a model to be happy. Hell, chances are you won’t be happy at all. Because those are markers established by society, whereas inside we all have feelings, a dream of who we want to be, and if you pursue that…you’re on the road to happiness.
Assuming you can pay the bills.
Ah, there’s that conundrum.
Huntin’ and fishin’ and lovin’ every day
I wanna see them tall pines sway
Y’all close them eyes
Let’s go there in our minds
The guitars are wailing, the banjo is twanging, and for just one moment you’re free, you’re where you want to be.
And that’s the power of music. It can take the worst mood and put you in first. It can turn a frown into a smile. It can give you ambition and hope. It can help you take a step. It can make life worth living.
So, if you’re looking for me, I’m on the gondola staring at the Gore Range, with my brain on an endless loop…
Huntin’ and fishin’, lovin’ every day
That’s the prayer this country boy prays
Thank God he made me this way
