Dusty Slay is one of the hottest names in stand-up comedy right now.
The blue collar comedian has made a name for himself with his hilarious stories about growing up in a trailer park in Alabama, and has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Tonight Show (as well as joining us for an episode of our Whiskey Riff Raff podcast back in 2021).
After moving to Nashville and spending years working his way up in the stand-up scene, Dusty just released his first Netflix special, Workin’ Man. And his down-home, observational humor just proves why he’s one of the best in the business right now.
During the special, Dusty speaks about his love for country music, while also hilariously breaking down some of his favorite songs, including the classic “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive” by Travis Tritt.
“It is a fun song. One of my favorites really.
But in that song, he doesn’t say it’s a great day to be alive until you get to the chorus. And if you just listen to the first verse of that song, you would NOT think that’s what he’s about to say.”
He then breaks down the first verse – and how it actually doesn’t sound like that great of a day at all:
“The song starts off with him going, ‘I got rice cookin’ in the microwave.’
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s not really the start to a great day is it? If that’s a great day, what were you up to yesterday? Just sittin’ around eating dry rice?
If you’re making a list of things that made your day great, I don’t think microwavable rice makes the list.”
I mean, he’s not wrong…
He also points out that the narrator can obviously cook – as evidenced by a later line – so why is he resorting to microwaving rice?
“A little while later in the song he says he’s making a homemade soup…
You’re telling me you’re making a homemade soup but you can’t boil a pot of rice? I don’t think so.”
And he also takes issue with the narrator saying he’s only “doing alright” while also proclaiming that “it’s a great day to be alive.”
“Are you doing alright or is it a great day to be alive? Cuz those are not the same thing.
Imagine you’re at work and one of your coworkers comes in and they go, ‘It’s a great day to be alive.’
You’re like, ‘Dang, how you doing today?’
They’re like, ‘Eh, I’m alright.'”
It’s a hilarious breakdown of the song, which is obviously one of the all-time classics of the ’90s. But it’s not the only song that Dusty takes issue with, as he also hits on “The Fireman” by George Strait, “I’m Already There” by Lonestar and another Travis Tritt hit, “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’.”
The whole special is more than worth a watch if you need a few laughs – and if you’re a country fan, it might just change the way you hear some of your favorite songs.
