Zach Bryan tapped The War and Treaty for one of his most raw songs to date, “Hey Driver.” The song sees Bryan reckon with life out on the road. Uncover the meaning behind this song, below.
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Behind the Meaning
So take me down a road that’s a little bit windy
To a place they still put sugar in their iced tea
Where the women are fine and the love is fair
Hey, driver, you can drop me off anywhere
In the opening chorus sung by The War and Treaty, the pair ask an unnamed driver to take them back to the South. They make references to sweet tea and fine women, two things deemed desirable about those parts. Hey, driver, you can drop me off anywhere, they sing, clearly not too fussed about nailing down an exact location.
This intro sums up the song quite succinctly. Bryan reckons with the consequences of a nomadic lifestyle in this track. In the first verse, Bryan tells the driver about his tiff with a higher power. Daddy always told me “Never make a home on the road,” he sings. Given his career, we have to assume this line is in reference to his touring schedule.
Hey, driver, pull on over
I’m in a fight with God
This Carolina shoulder
Seems the place I’m gettin’ off
Hey, driver, the boys are gamblin’
With more than just their cards
With their bottles and their drugs
And their Bibles and their hearts
Bryan furthers his commentary on a life spent without roots in the second verse. He and his duet partners sing about gambling–not with money, but with life itself. With their bottles and their drugs / And their Bibles and their hearts, the lyrics read.
Bryan has no shortage of philosophical songs, but he bares his soul on “Hey Driver.” The addition of Michael and Tanya Trotter’s vocals help this song cut even deeper. Check it out, below.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival)
