“And I’m way too blessed to bitch today…”
Though that line always makes me laugh a little bit, the simplicity and honesty behind it is kind of poetic in a certain sense, too, right?
From Koe Wetzel’s new fifth studio album Hell Paso, “YellaBush Road” was, and continues to be, one of my favorite’s from the tracklist.
Koe previously spoke about the fan-favorite song and what it means to him, noting that it’s a tribute to his hometown and where he came from:
“‘YellaBush Road’ is my community… it used to be a lot bigger. They had a school, a church, and everything out there. Now, there’s not even a road sign for it.
This is my hometown song though. You get on the road, you get away from everything you know, and you start to miss it. So, the tune puts me back there.”
One of my favorite verses from the whole record comes from this track, too, where he addresses subject matter I don’t think we get to hear too often from him.
Instead of lamenting a breakup or acknowledging the fact that he often drinks way too much, he ponders why it is that he now has everything he ever wanted in terms of his music career, but can’t figure out why it doesn’t quite feel the way he always hoped it would:
That can tell me why I’m feelin’ this wayA hometown hero without the capeJust a poor motherfucker that grew up on Yella Bush Road”
It’s a pretty introspective moment, where he grapples with his fame and success in a way we’ve never really heard before. And that makes sense, because he has exploded even since his last record Sellout, which was his major label debut with Sony records.
And at a stop in Springfield, Missouri a month or so back, he played an acoustic set for a few people ahead of the show, which also included an awesome stripped-back rendition of “Better Without You.”
But hearing “YellaBush Road” specifically in its purest, simplest form allows you to really soak in every word of what is a really meaningful and heartfelt song.
It’s pretty rare to get an acoustic version of anything like this from Koe, but the stripped-back nature of this performance lends itself so well to “YellaBush Road” and allows his vocals to really shine, as well.
Much like the song, it’s alway so intriguing to see different sides of who Koe is as an artist and person, and this is my favorite because it feels like he’s putting it all out there in such a genuine and truthful way.
“Just a poor motherfucker that grew up on Yella Bush Road” sitting on a stool with a bottle of Jack and an acoustic guitar…
You can’t beat it:
Koe previously played Iit for On Tour Outdoors last year, way before Hell Paso was announced or released:
“YellaBush Road”
