Tippin’ the cap to the great Blaze Foley.
Fresh off the release of his Pain Pills Or Pews EP, Yellowstone star Luke Grimes is back with a new single today and it’s a cover of Blaze Foley’s “Clay Pigeons.”
“In my opinion, Blaze Foley is one of the more underrated singer songwriters in the history books of country music. He truly was outlaw country in every sense, and he practiced what he preached. ‘Clay Pigeons’ is not only my favorite song from Blaze, but one of my favorite songs of all time.
The structure, melody, and lyrics are all so simple, yet they come together to say something so profound. The songwriting is masterful. There has always been something so comforting to me about the melancholy feel of this song.”
The song was also recorded by the great John Prine, one of the greatest singers and songwriters this generation has seen, on his 2005 Fair and Square album.
The message of “Clay Pigeons” follows someone who feels defeated and is looking for a way to escape his own problems. The lyrics detail the feeling of waiting to get away and find someone to relate to and share stories of the hard times. You see this through the metaphorical lyrics in the first lines detailing a bus stop.
“I’m goin’ down to the Greyhound Station, gonna buy a ticket to rideGonna find that lady with two or three kids and sit down by her sideRide ’til the sun comes up and down around me ’bout two or three timesSmokin’ cigarettes in the last seat…”
I will be having this on repeat all day, but bravo Luke Grimes, you did good on this one.
Here’s a look at the original:
