“When I was in school I ran with a kid down the street,
And I watched him burn himself up on bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most, and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o’clock news
When I was eighteen lord I hit the road
But it really doesn’t matter how far I go...”
Though the song was written to highlight the contrasts and struggles of growing up in the south during the modern transition, it still has relevance to any small-town kid. How many people does this verse speak to? Lord knows I’m one.
.. "By the light of radio by my bed With Thomas Wolfe whispering in my head"
Deep themes in this one.