Friday, May 9, 2008

The Best of Mike Cooley

Patterson Hood may be the outspoken front man, Jason Isbell may be boy genius, Shonna Tucker might be Isbell's ex-wife and a hell of a whiskey slugger, and Spooner Oldham might be a living, breathing rock legend, but lately I've been appreciating Mike Cooley's work with The Drive-By Truckers. On each album over the course of their career, one of the Truckers seems to have the better batch of songs, and on the latest, I think it's Cooley. So ahead of tonight's official Rockist outing to catch DBT at the 9:30, here are the all-time best lyrics from Cooley tunes:

"I went stumbling through the fog trying to find a reason for the things I told her / She woke up sunny side down and I was still thinking I was too proud to flip her over / Between the champagne hand jobs and the kissing ass by everyone involved / Cocaine rich comes quick and that's why the small dicks have it all." - Gravity's Gone

"If the part about being who he was didn't help Tom get loose, what's a guy without a T. gonna get? / Totally screwed, while chicken wing puke eats the candy apple red off his Corvette." - Three Dimes Down

"Well, my daddy didn’t pull out, but he never apologized / Rock and Roll means well, but it can’t help tellin’ young boys lies." - Marry Me

"Mr. Phillips never blew enough hot air to need a little gold plated paperweight / He promised him a Cadillac and put the wind in Carl's face / He did just what he said he was gonna do and the money came in sacks / New contracts and Carl Perkins' Cadillac." - Carl Perkins' Cadillac

The Drive By Truckers - "Women Without Whiskey" (Live)

_________________

*On a side note, check out Chris Klimek's interview with Patterson Hood on DCist ahead of the band's two shows at the 9:30 Club this weekend. A particular quote I like: "You can be in Seattle, which is a pretty cosmopolitan, liberal, blue-state American city, but get in your car and drive 25 minutes outside of town, and it could be Georgia with different trees."

10 comments:

Chris said...

Hail, Rockists! Klimek from DCist here -- thanks for plugging my interview with Patterson.

Sunday morning while I was still basking in the afterglow of Saturday night's DBT show at the 9:30 (a buzz that would soon be obliterated by the Radiohead debacle), I made up a playlist of all my favorite Cooley songs.

I like all the ones you named, but I think these are in the same league:

"Well your wishes and your feelings / Bad dreams and intuitions /
Are about as much good to me right now as a brand new set of golf clubs /
We've been this close to death before, we were just too drunk to know /
Guess the price of being sober is being scared out of your mind." -- Shut Up and Get on the Plane

"It ain't about the money or even being #1 /
You gotta know when it's all over you did the best you could've done /
Knowing that it's in you and you never let it out /
Is worse than blowing any engine or any wreck you'll ever have." -- Daddy's Cup

"Skeletons ain’t got nowhere to stick their money
/ Nobody makes britches that size /
And besides you're a ghost to most before they notice that you ever had a hair of hide." -- A Ghost to Most


When he played "Bob" Saturday night, it sounded like half the people in the club knew every line.

Mike Cooley. Freaking. Genius.

G.H. said...

We missed Self Destructive Zones, which I couldn't believe. I'd be curious to hear how it was.

I never liked Daddy's Cup all that much, but Shut Up and Get on the Plane, Loaded Gun int he Closet...all nearly made it.

Anonymous said...

I know the bottle ain't to blame and I ain't tryin' to / Cause it don't make you do the things, it just lets you

Genius.

Unknown said...

Mike Cooley is the man. When I was first turned on to the trucker I was mezmerized by Hood intrigued by Cooley and thought Isbell's were the most radio friendly. I think the lyrics are in general are genius. Now that Ive seen the truckers several times and listened to the albums excessively I've come to the realization that Cooley may be my favorite. Dont get me wrong I love Hood's work and he shines all over the place, his songs definitely got me listening. But Cooley has been more of an acquired taste for me, but his lyrics are great and the songs are classic. I Love this band. Even shawna holds it down on the new one. Long Live DBT!

P.S. How bout a cooley solo show?

Anonymous said...

Heard the 'Truckers for the first time this year...and can't get enough...Fave songs (so far)...
Sounds Better In The Song,
Carl Perkins Cadillac,
A Ghost To Most,
Guitar Man Upstairs,
Zip City,
Panties In Your Purse,
& cover of Like a Rolling Stone (from Highway 61 Revisited, Revisited)...

NEIL YOUNG FAN, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

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Cantalopian said...

Cooley is da man! My favorite song of his is Zip City, it blows me away. Cooley is a greate artist.

Unknown said...

Keep your drawers on girl, it ain't worth the fight. By the time you drop them I'll be gone and you'll be where they fall the rest of your life.