If sad songs make you happy, then you need to check out this Lance Roark cover.
Proving to be one of the next big artists out of Oklahoma, Roark’s emergence on the scene comes as a result of his killer debut project Better Man released earlier this year, and has perhaps been catalyzed by his frequent collaboration with home state royalty and fellow Tahlequah-area natives the Turnpike Troubadours, having co-written their tune “Chipping Mill” alongside the band’s bassist and co-founder R.C. Edwards.
Oklahoma has long been a hotbed for country music, and while Roark is just one of the latest artists to gain some serious national momentum from the state, there is a long list of both famous superstars in the genre and underrated, understated songwriters who have called the state home.
Perhaps one of the more impressive Oklahoma artists of the past couple decades, though, is John Moreland.
Who Is John Moreland?
The Tulsa, OK artist is undoubtedly under-appreciated in the grand scheme of country music, but has been lauded by his peers and critics alike within the industry as one of the best songwriters out there for quite some time now.
A generationally talented storyteller and lyricist, Moreland particularly has a knack for penning painstakingly sad tunes, and Roark recently took to Instagram to try his hand at covering Moreland’s most popular one to date, “You Don’t Care For Me Enough To Cry.”
Roark absolutely kills it, but no one is ever going to be able to truly do this song justice more so than Moreland himself.
Check out this video of Moreland performing “You Don’t Care For Me Enough To Cry” live back in 2015.
“I’m the kind of love that hurts to look at
But once I was enough to make you try
Now I’m underneath the rubble
Tryin’ not to feel the trouble
And you don’t care for me enough to cry…”
Goosebumps…
“You Don’t Care For Me Enough To Cry” was originally released in 2015 on Moreland’s cult classic record High On Tulsa Heat, an extremely potent 10-track record that I would venture as far as to say is open of the more underrated records from a songwriting standpoint in all of country music.
If you’ve never given Moreland much of a listen, here are a few more to get you started – but don’t stop here, his catalog is lengthy and well worthy of a deep dive.
“Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars” – High On Tulsa Heat (2015)
“East October” – LP5 (2020)
“Break My Heart Sweetly” – In the Throes (2013)
And don’t forget to hop on that Lance Roark train early as he sets out to carry the red dirt torch with songs like these from his debut 8-track project Better Man.
“Oklahoma Blacktop”
“Searchin’”
And if either of these artists is playing a show near you, you’re not going to want to miss it. These guys are some of the best in the business.
Lance Roark Tour Dates
10/21 – John T. Floore’s Country Store – Helotes, TX*
10/27 – Eskimo Joe’s – Stillwater, OK#
11/3 – The Vanguard – Tulsa, OK
11/10 – Bob’s Off the Square – Granbury, TX
11/25 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA^
11/26 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC^
11/27 – The Barrelhouse Ballroom – Chattanooga, TN^
11/28 – Duling Hall – Jackson, MS^
11/29 – Tipitina’s Uptown – New Orleans, LA^
11//30 – The Heights Theater – Houston, TX^
12/1 – Scoot Inn – Austin, TX^
12/2 – Cactus Theater – Lubbock, TX^
12/3 – Meow Wolf – Santa Fe, NM^
12/4 – Belly Up Aspen – Aspen, CO^
12/5 – Soundwell – Salt lake City, UT^
12/6 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO^
12/7 – Fox Theater – Hays, KS^
12/8 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK^
12/9 – Ridgelea Theater – Fort Worth, TX^
12/10 – 1884 Lounge – Memphis, TN^
12/29 – Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX~
*supporting Muscadine Bloodline
#Supporting Cody Canada & the Departed
^Supporting American Aquarium
~Supporting Turnpike Troubadours
John Moreland Tour Dates
11/17 – 3Ten – Austin, TX*
11/18 – Kessler Theater – Dallas, TX*
11/19 – The Heights Theater – Houston, TX*
