Brighter Than Creations Dark

Certain Songs #361: Drive-by Truckers – “That Man I Shot”

November 4, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Year: 2008

There’s a reason that we demonize the people we go to war against. It’s to make it easier to think of them as “enemy combatants” and “casualties” as opposed to “human beings we are trying to kill.”

But, of course, no matter the justification for the war, no matter the righteousness of the war, no matter how the evil the enemy, they’re still “human beings we are trying to kill.”

That’s what “That Man I Shot” is getting at.

Certain Songs #360: Drive-by Truckers – “The Righteous Path”

November 3, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Year: 2008

Despite the loss of Jason Isbell, the Drive-by Truckers kept rolling along, and their 2008 album, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark was a definite rebound, despite being their most stripped-down album since Pizza Deliverance.

So naturally, my favorite song on the whole record — Patterson Hood’s “The Righteous Path” — was the most rockingest. But I swear it’s because it’s got my favorite lyric.