This one of my all-time favourite songs. It’s a song about a guy we all know, and the lyrics are so perfectly evil. At the same time, it’s a wonderful meta-lyric; it’s a thematic song about an entire breed of hard-boiled rock’n’roll songs, and it strikes an entirely loveable, sarcastic tone in commenting on a type tone of songs and bands. Again, we all know those bands.
It helps, of course, that the song is delivered with all of the great skill and musicality that is typical of Green on Red at their best. The balance, the vocal, the muted-but-perfect guitar solo, it’s all done in the casual way that is only possible with supreme craftsmanship.
Finally, Green on Red deliver the song in the country rock / dessert rock style that is all their own but at the same time captures, references, even summarizes an entire legacy of rock music. I’m reminded of The Band, who also had this ability to create unique songs that sound like they were the caretakers of rock legacy and tradition, and at the same time all their own.
