Friday, February 26, 2010

Music Friday: "Soldiers Get Strange"

As you know if you've followed my blog for a while, I'm a big fan of Jason Isbell's solo work since he departed from the Drive-By Truckers.

One of my favorite songs from his second album is the one linked in this post. "Soldiers Get Strange" follows the Isbell playbook of storytelling as he describes a soldier grappling with PTSD and its effect on his marriage.

Here's a section of the lyrics:
You know she's a real good girl.
She reminds you that every curl
that whips in the wind of the world
is watched by the eyes of God.
But lately your mane's gone white.
You itch in your veins in the night.
Before you "came home alright,"
you wielded the lighning rod.

It ain't the time that made it go South.
It ain't the liquor that burns in your mouth.
Nearly nothing around here's changed.
It's just that a soldier gets strange.

She turns off the lights, so you can't see her body.
You can't make her fight when you know that you're wrong.
They call you a hero--so many still fighting.
This ain't where you belong.

Click HERE to watch him play this song in KDHX's studios.

3 comments:

TGD said...

Good tune

Quintilian B. Nasty said...

And a great radio station

Anonymous said...

And an awesome Board