The Wig He Made Her Wear may well be the quintessential Patterson Hood song. Musically, it’s a bit different than most of his stuff, but the story and the way he tells it sums who Patterson is as a writer perfectly. It’s modern day Southern Gothic at its best.
It’s the kind of song that makes me want to run up to people on the street, grab them by the shoulders and shake them so furiously it causes a reverse seizure, and then put a wooden spoon on their tongue and gently stroke their hair as I explain to them how amazing the track is.
But as usual, the lyrics themselves say far more than I could, so here they are:
It was as open and shut as anything I have seen
He was a pillar of town his reputation was clean
It was right before Easter in the first week of spring
He didn’t show up for service that Wednesday night
The congregation knew something weren’t right
Blood on the bed when they opened the door
The preacher was dead on the bedroom floor
And it was them high-heeled shoes and that wig he made her wear
Everyone knew there had to be some outside thing that made this happen
Because they seemed like the perfect family
He’d been shot in the back, a day before he was found
His wife and three kids were nowhere around
An Amber Alert was issued in town
Everyone was shocked at the scene of the crime
She’d taken the kids across two state lines
Found her in Orange Beach with the kids in the car
Sent back to Selmer to await her trial for first-degree murder
Was she crazy or just plain old mean to have gone and done it?
She said she heard the bang and was afraid he’d be mad and made a run for it
Said, they were having a fight and the gun was a bluff
She didn’t pull the trigger it just went off
Said that he berated her about everything
Make her do things that made her feel so ashamed
Nobody at church would ever suspect
Made her dress up slutty before they had sex
In the courtroom that day there was an audible gasp
What they put up on display the locals couldn’t quite grasp
There was an audible gasp in the courtroom that day
When the defense pulled out and displayed
Them high-heeled shoes and that wig he made her wear
Reduced her charge to voluntary manslaughter
And I ain’t judging either way but she’s already out of jail
And if for some inexcusable reason, you still don’t have the album, get it here, otherwise I’m gonna come shake you like a drunken, abusive, asshole father who just found out you got kicked off the football team for sucking off the quarterback.
Hi, my name’s Peter, and I’m a Drive-by Truckers addict, but I hate sitting in circles in church basements, and I can’t live without my DBT, so fuck you guys [kicks over plastic chair], I’m out of here. Thanks for the coffee. I’ll need the caffeine for the binge this weekend.
Quite frankly, there’s been so much DBT news leading up to the release of The Big To-Do on Tuesday, that it’s even gotten hard for me to keep up with it all. For starters, you’ve got the webisode above, and that’s remarkable for two reasons. One, Cooley rarely explains his songs. He’s more of one of those “here’s the song, you fucking figure it out, or not—I don’t give a shit, there’s the song” type of guys, and quite frankly, his songs are always so badass, we all just say “Oh! Thank you!” Secondly, the video above is remarkable merely for the line “let ol’ Miss Trixie sit up front with her great big ol’ titties.” That’s so beautiful it’s worth quoting the quote of the quote. Hell, I’ll do it again, “let Miss Trixie sit up front with her great big ol’ titties.” Fantastic.
In case you haven’t heard by now, you can stream The Big To-Do album in its entirety on the Truckers page. I’d say it’s the best work they’ve ever done in the studio, and I’ll have a track-by-track break down for you next week, unless I decide that life will never get better than listening to this album and I off myself over the weekend. Probably not going to happen, but the album is that amazing. Honestly, March is too early to pick the best record of the year, but let’s just say anyone who wants to beat this one is going to have to make a pretty good deal with the devil, and quite frankly, I’m not sure you can ever make a good deal with Satan. He’s a tricky bastard.
Now if a masterfully played and recorded album would make you start to think the Truckers are just a studio band, you’d be about as wrong as dog lasagna. If you need proof, go see them live, immediately. Like buy a ticket now. If you’re not in Atlanta this weekend, and you need instant gratification (is there any other kind?), you can stream tonight’s and Saturday night’s shows at the Variety Playhouse on iClips. It’s not the same as being there, but quite frankly, if you don’t have tickets yet, you ain’t getting ‘em.
Also, the Truckers are on Letterman tonight. They pre-taped it earlier this week because Letterman doesn’t shoot on Fridays, but if he did, considering the way things are going for this band, I wouldn’t put it past them to figure out a way to be in two places at once. They’re just that good.
And finally, the Truckers have announced that they will be touring with Tom Petty this summer. I know, it’s like getting tickets for a package show featuring Jesus and Buddha, except with a lot more whiskey and looser women. Now I need to stop typing, because I need to use my hands to point as I shout along with these songs and make my rock face.
That’s the Cooley Bird logo by the Drive-by Truckers’ artist, and all around visual badass, Wes Freed. It’s the picture of the sticker you can order on their website, and no, I’m not good enough at Photoshop to clip the white parts out. Probably should take it off my resume.
Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!
The fine folks over at Blurtare reporting that DBT’s Mike Cooley will be releasing his first solo project this April. Holy shit! I just soiled my pants in two different places. A Cooley solo project? That’s like that first cigarette the morning after you quit: you didn’t even know it was coming, but damned if you didn’t need it.
In case you don’t know, Cooley is today’s preeminent dark poet. He’s like Edgar Allen Poe, if Poe had been a third degree black belt on guitar, had stayed off the junk, and didn’t dress like such a nancy.
Keep in mind, the Truckers are also releasing two new studio albums this year and full length documentary, and last year they released Patterson’s solo album, a studio album, a Grammy-winning album with Booker T, and a live CD and DVD. Jesus Christ, I’m lazy. You’re lazy. We’re all a bunch of good for nothing lazy turds next to these guys. Shit, even Tiger Woods looks like a card-carrying roustabout that doesn’t do anything or anyone next to the Truckers.
There’s another new DBT song out for download from the upcoming album The Big To-Do. Two new Drive-by Truckers songs in one week? Maybe the world isn’t ending. Now I have no idea what the fuck I’m going to do with all these beans and ammunition. Anywhoo, you can download “Birthday Boy” for free now on the Truckers site.
From what I can tell it’s about a hooker, and since it’s a Cooley song, you know it ain’t all about pretty, bouncin’ titties and g-strings. Not many artists can give you such a deep, dark view into two people’s lives in so few words. Not a single syllable is wasted, and the whole thing’s technically radio safe. Cooley has a unique gift.
Go get it for free here. Sure, you do have to enter your email address, but worst case, you’ll get sent concert dates for the best rock band in America a couple of times a year. Worth it.
