(Just as a warning, this article, and the song and video discussed, contains graphic details and depictions of a suicide attempt. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741).
Chase Rice wasn’t kidding when he said we’d be seeing a new side of him on his upcoming album.
And I get it: You may have lost interest as soon as I mentioned Chase Rice. For years he’s kinda been the stereotypical punchline to the joke that was the bro-country era, with pop-infused songs like “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen” and “Ready Set Roll.”
But Chase has been hinting at a change in direction, saying that for his upcoming album I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell he was done with “chasin’ whatever bullshit thing I thought I was supposed to be doing at the time.”
There’s been a definite shift in the music that he’s already dropped from the new album, songs like “Key West & Colorado” and “Way Down Yonder.” And while it’s not Zach Bryan or Tyler Childers, it’s a far cry from Florida Georgia Line or some of his earlier hits.
And the latest release from the upcoming album may be the biggest sign yet that Chase is serious about taking things in a new direction.
Oh, and this one is DARK.
The latest release is called “Bench Seat,” and it’s far from the “tailgates and bonfires” that we got from Chase’s earlier music.
Inspired by a true story and written solely by Chase, “Bench Seat” tells the story of a man and his best friend, a dog that rides with him on the bench seat of his truck.
But as you watch the video, things take a dark turn when the man takes his own life – revealing that the song had been from the dog’s perspective the whole time:
“I always knew this day would come
Just thought I’d the first called home
Little boy and her, don’t you worry about them
I’ve got ’em from now
See you soon my friend
And we’ll roll the windows down
You’ll be right there in that bench seat next to me
There’s a smell of fresh cut grass
Mr. Reynolds waves as we roll past State Road 44
First light arrives, it’s the best view in Tennessee
Oh and they’ll say I saved your life
But I know that’s a lie between
You, me and the bench seat
You saved mine”
Speaking about the inspiration for the song, Chase said:
“My best friend in college almost shot himself in the head.
His dog ended up kind of saving his life. He had the gun to his head and he looked down at the dog. The dog did the head tilt and like looked at him like, ‘What you doing?'”
Luckily the friend changed his mind and dropped the gun, and he’s doing well now. But when he told Chase the story, he knew he wanted to write a song about it:
“I cried a lot on that one. I remember starting to write it and I just stood up and walked out of the room. I knew I wanted to write it, but I didn’t think it would hit that quick.”
That’s some heavy shit.
Chase also released a 7-minute long video to go along with the song, and just a warning, it’s even more heavy than the song itself – but it’s incredibly well-done.
I’ve got to say, I wasn’t expecting this from Chase Rice at all. But I’ll be the first to admit I like this new direction he’s taking, and I’m excited to hear the rest of the album.
But now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go hug my dog.
