The Late Jamey Johnson By Amanda on January 23, 2009 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
I didn't get reminded to check this out until I kept seeing it turn up on year end lists, but Jamey Johnson's That Lonesome Song should retrospectively make my Best of 08 list. ALTHOUGH the true mavens, like at The 9513, excluded it from 08 since it was actually self released digitally in 07 (it made their 2007 best list) -- but then got picked up by Mercury and put out with all the trimmings last year. It qualifies for Grammys this year so I'll go with that and the rest of the world.
There are two instant classics on it for mine, "In Color" and most especially "The High Cost of Living." I think "Between Jennings and Jones" tries a little hard but is a good addition to the pomo self-ref country hagiography cannon, and the rest of the songs are extremely solid.
"The High Cost of Living" -- one of my faves of the year -- is a genre piece in its chronicle-from-jail of debauchery and a wasted life, with the modern twist of being six minutes long and blaming 8 balls instead of Jose Cuervo. The best version on teh tube cannot be embeddened but watch/listen here. I believe all this is autobiographical but I won't go into the gossip. Do I look like TMZ?
That southern Baptist parking lot
Is where I'd go to smoke my pot
Sit there in my pickup truck and pray
Staring at that giant cross
Just reminded me that I was lost
And it just never seemed to point the way
As soon as Jesus turned his back
I find my way across the track
Lookin' just to score another deal
With my back against that damn eight ball
I didn't have to think or talk or feel
My life was just an old routine
Every day the same damn thing
I couldn't even tell I was alive
I tell you
The high cost of livin'
Ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high
My whole life went through my head
Layin' in that motel bed
Watchin' as the cops kicked in the door
Love that shitkicker's existentialism on that last verse there.
"In Color" is a more country radio friendly song mining/milking the traditional themes of nostagia and the honourable lives of old folks. But it's a good 'un.
By Brady
on January 24, 2009 12:35 AM
Haha, true mavens, eh? It did show up on our 2007 list...
As to whether or not "High Cost of Living" is autobiographical, Johnson has said the specifics of the song aren't true, but I believe the general feeling of throwing one's life away comes from personal experience. Glad you finally got around to giving him a listen, though.