Exploring the Music of Dierks Bentley
Enter here for a chance to win: https://sweeps.hvnln.com/pennzoil0818/
Album: Planet Country
Album Release Date: November 6, 2009
Label: ABC
Producer: ?
Track 6: “Scars” (featuring Dierks Bentley)
Single Release Date: n/a
My Thoughts/Interpretation/Insights: Australian country artist, Lee Kernaghan released his twelfth studio album, Planet Country in 2009 which featured the song, “Scars”. Bringing in Dierks Bentley was the perfect choice for this track, a rocking tune about how each of our scars tell a story. It also touches on the fact that not all scars show on the outside, evidenced by the lines about one scar in particular, “…that won’t heal. She cut me real, deep.” Kernaghan is another artist that I am not too familiar with and will have to check out more of his work. This one is a great start!
Let me know what you think of this song. Do you like it?
Listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics below! I have also included a link to the music video along with a concert version. Enjoy!
Scars
Written by ?
I’ve got a souvenir on my leg
The time I stacked my bike
A piece of history on my lip
The day I learned how to fight
I wouldn’t listen
I had to learn
You play with fire
You’re gonna get burned
Scars, talkin’ ’bout stories
Some are like medals, we wear with glory
Scars, fading with time
You’ve got yours and I’ve got mine
Too much throttle and some gravel edges
All I saw was dust
And my whole life flashing before me
I can still feel them stitchin’ me up
I wouldn’t listen
I had to learn
You play with fire
You’re gonna get burned
Scars, talkin’ ’bout stories
Some are like medals, we wear with glory
Scars, fading with time
You’ve got yours and I’ve got mine
Then there’s one that won’t heal
She cut me real, deep
Scars, talkin’ ’bout stories
Some are like medals, we wear with glory
Scars, fading with time
You’ve got yours…
Scars, talkin’ ’bout stories
Some are like medals, we wear with glory
Scars, fading with time
You’ve got yours and I’ve got mine
Album: Revival
Album Release Date: August 31, 2009
Label: Devil’s River Records
Producer: ?
Track 3: “Until It’s Gone”
Single Release Date: n/a
My Thoughts/Interpretation/Insights: In 2009, Radney Foster released an album called Revival. He enlisted Dierks Bentley to join him on the third track, “Until It’s Gone”. This is a rockin’ tune about working hard to get what you want. You shouldn’t expect anything to be handed to you. You’ve got to do the hard work and give it everything you’ve got. I think it’s a solid message for whatever industry that you are in (not just music). This is a fun one that is well worth the download.
I confess that I have only downloaded the one song off the album, but listening to this one again in preparation for this blog post makes me want to explore more of Foster’s work.
Let me know what you think of this song. Do you like it?
Here is an article that talks about the full album:
Radney Foster Blends Rock and Redemption on New Album, Revival
Listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics below! I have also included a link to an acoustic version by Radney. Enjoy!
Until It’s Gone
Written by ?
You can’t sneak your way up the ladder
Have it handed to you on a silver platter
It don’t depend on who or what you know
It won’t rub off of some movie star
You gotta bang it out on a cheap guitar
It doesn’t matter what you drive
It’s how you go
If I’m gonna play. I’m gonna play loud
Pour the midnight oil, let it all burn out
If I’m gonna love, I’m gonna love big
I wasn’t born to hold nothin’ back from you
and that’s the way it is
I don’t want life watered-down
I want to drink it strong
Until it’s gone, until it’s gone
Well, nobody here sent for you, son
There’s a million roads but you just get one
Treat every quarter inch like a hundred yards
Better swing your groove
Like you swing your hammer
Sing like Cash did in the slammer
You can’t go half at it, ya got to nail it hard
If I’m gonna play. I’m gonna play loud
Pour the midnight oil, let it all burn out
If I’m gonna love, I’m gonna love big
I wasn’t born to hold nothin’ back from you
and that’s the way it is
I don’t want life watered-down
I want to drink it strong
Until it’s gone, until it’s gone
Album: Big Dreams & High Hopes
Album Release Date: August 25, 2009
Label: Big Machine
Producer: Radney Foster, Jay Joyce, Doug Lancio, and Jeremy Stover
Track 6: “Barbie Doll”
Single Release Date: May 2010
My Thoughts/Interpretation/Insights: For Jack Ingram’s eighth studio album, he pulled in some awesome collaborators for “Barbie Doll”. The track features, Dierks Bentley, Randy Houser, Little Big Town, The Lost Trailers, and James Otto. The song serves as a warning to fall for a girl just based on her looks. The one described in this song “ain’t got no heart at all” and moves on to whatever she pleases, with no regard for others. This one is a great one to sing along to.
It should be noted that this is actually a re-recording. Ingram first released this song as a single in 2000. It was included on his fourth studio album, Hey You (1999). That version did not have all of the featured guest artists noted above. Also, the 2010 single version of the song is a radio edit that features only Jack Ingram and Dierks Bentley. So there are three versions out there. Does anyone have a copy of the 2010 radio edit single?
Listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics below! I have also included a link to the performance at the 2010 ACM Awards. Enjoy!
Here is the original version:
Barbie Doll
Written by Jack Ingram and Todd Snider
I see you looking and I know what you think
You’re getting braver with every drink but
I am telling you something you need outta know
She may look like a sweet young thing
Talking to him but she ain’t hearing a thing
If you were smart you’d turn around and let her go
That girl’s a Barbie doll
A Barbie doll
She’s real good-looking but she’s got no heart at all
She puts on her makeup and drives to the bar in her
Boyfriend’s old man’s brand-new car
She got no idea what she does or why
She does whatever she wants I guess
Whatever comes first, whatever looks best
Nobody I know has ever seen her cry
She’s a Barbie doll
Ya a Barbie doll
Ya she’s real good looking but she’s got no heart at all
She’s a Barbie doll
Ya a Barbie doll
Ya she’s real good looking but she’s got no heart at all
You should have seen her last Saturday night
She had a friend of mine treating her right
She was hanging on him until she found a better deal
You should have seen how cold she got
My buddy asked why and she said why not
Nobody I know swears she’s even real
Ya she’s a Barbie doll
ya she’s a Barbie doll
Ya she’s real good looking but she’s got no heart at all
Ya she’s a Barbie doll
Ya a Barbie doll
Ya she’s real good looking but she’s got no heart at all
Ya she’s a Barbie doll
A Barbie doll
Ya she’s real good looking, she ain’t got no heart.
There is a cool new “HomeTown” video featuring Dierks Bentley that was published yesterday on YouTube that is presented by Dish and produced by Live Nation. It is definitely worth checking out. Great stuff!
Album: iTunes: Live from SoHo – EP
Album Release Date: June 2, 2009
Label: Capital Records Nashville
Producer: ?
Track List:
My Thoughts/Interpretation/Insights: In January of 2009, Dierks performed some of the songs from his album, Feel That Fire at the SoHo Apple store in New York City. The performance was recorded and released as an EP via iTunes in June of that same year. The performance is solid and is a must-have if you want to listen to live tracks from Mr. Bentley. I’m still hoping he will release more live recordings in the future. Until then we have limited live releases such as this one (or YouTube videos from his concerts).
What are your thoughts about this EP? Do you have it?
![IMG_0275[1]](https://tracksofthedesertson.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_02751.jpg?w=292&h=390)
Today’s blog post will be a deviation from my usual topic. While my blog has thus far been all about exploring the music of Dierks Bentley, I have a story to tell about some other country artists that my family and I listen to. I really wanted to share the experience that we had to show our appreciation for these artists. NOTE: I still have a story to tell about the time I met Dierks Bentley in 2016, “but that’s a song for another time” (see what I did there?). As I begin my tale, I will mention one thing about the time that my daughter and I met Dierks as it is relevant to this story. When we met Dierks, we only got two Meet & Greet passes, but there were three of us at that concert. My wife graciously let me and my daughter take those passes as she knew that Dierks is my all-time favorite country artist.
Now, back to the story. My wife, my daughter, and I try to catch at least one concert every year. In 2016 we saw Dierks Bentley. In 2017 we saw Miranda Lambert. In 2018 we thought we might catch Luke Bryan or maybe even see Dierks again as he started touring for his new album, The Mountain. Unfortunately, none of the dates and/or locations were going to work out to see either of them. We looked to our local summertime concert listings at the Champlain Valley Fair. Our local fair has been bringing in some great country artists for the last few years. For some reason it usually works out that we have something else going on and are not able to go to the local performances. This year was an exception. When we heard that Old Dominion would be a headliner at the fair, we decided to get tickets for the show. At that time it had not been announced as to who the opening act would be.
I immediately started looking for opportunities to win “Meet & Greet” passes for Old Dominion. Unfortunately, Old Dominion’s website did not have a clear path to win M&G passes. We joined their free fan club, but there was still no clear process on how to score passes. I tried everything as I really wanted my wife to get a chance to meet them, since I had gotten to meet Dierks a couple years ago. I reached out via Facebook, Twitter, and direct e-mail to the band and even their tour manager. I never got a response. It was frustrating, but at the same time I understand that the band, their tour managers, their agent, and their social media managers are very busy people with thousands of fans probably all trying the same thing. I didn’t give up trying, but I had accepted the fact that it was probably just not going to happen.
While all of this was going on we finally heard who the opening act was going to be. Michael Ray. I was familiar with Michael’s singles along with a few other tracks from his videos. “Fan Girl” has also been in rotation on SiriusXM’s The Highway. The concert was shaping up to be a really good show so my family and I were getting really excited for it. Having nearly given up hope of meeting Old Dominion, I thought it would be just as cool to meet Michael Ray. I checked his website, but did not see where there was a means to win a chance to meet him. On a whim, I decided to tweet Michael Ray and see if I could find out about Meet & Greet passes that way. I didn’t really expect that I would get a response, as again I realize that Michael (like most artists) can’t respond to every “fan girl” who reaches out to them (see what I did there?). To my surprise I got a response soon after. It went down like this:
I couldn’t believe it. I knew the response was legitimate since it had the blue check mark next to his name, but I was still skeptical that it would all work out. The concert was still three weeks away. Nonetheless, I could not wait to tell my wife and my daughter the great news. I also immediately reached out to a contact at the Champlain Valley Fair to confirm that they had a “Will Call” booth and to find out where it was. I learned that they do have one and that it would be run by FlynnTix. I reached out to FlynnTix and they didn’t have any information on how any Meet & Greet passes would be handled. They said they would probably not know until just before (or even the day of) the concert. Also, everyone that I talked to at the Fair and at FlynnTix wee a bit curious as to how I got these Meet & Greet passes as it was a bit unorthodox to say the least. All I had was a printout of the Twitter exchange to back up my story. I crossed my fingers and hoped that it would all work out. My contact at the fair advised that stopping at the “Will Call” booth on the day of the concert at around 5:30pm should be sufficient to check in on the passes.
Fast-forward to August 24th. The concert was to begin at 7pm. The gates to the fair opened at 3pm. We didn’t want to take any chances, so we got to the fair shortly after the gates opened. We headed directly to the “Will Call” booth once we got inside. The person at the booth advised us that they had no information yet on M&G passes and that we would have to check back in later. At this point, we were a little worried that it was not going to happen. We decided that we would walk around the fairgrounds and check back on the M&G passes at 5:30pm. We headed over to the 4-H exhibitions as our daughter had entered a photography contest. We were excited to learn that she had earned a blue ribbon for her photo entry, “Morning Rain”!
As we left the 4-H exhibits we decided to go look at some animals. We stopped into Old McDonald’s Farm for a little while. As we were walking out of the little barn I looked up and saw Michael Ray and Carly Pearce. I couldn’t believe it. I whispered to my wife, “I think that’s Michael Ray and Carly right there!” As I was pointing over at them, Michael looked up and noticed us looking at them. I awkwardly waved. I was a bit embarrassed and didn’t know really if we should even approach them. I felt a little guilty as I know their time is precious (and limited). I also recognize that their time alone together is precious and limited. They immediately put us at ease. Michael stepped right up and introduced himself and Carly to us. He noticed that I had a camera with me and asked us if we wanted to take a picture. That was pretty cool. We snapped a couple of pictures of Michael and Carly with our daughter.
I was so caught off guard by the unexpected interaction that I took the picture with my old point-and-shoot camera instead of my iPhone. The iPhone probably would have taken a better quality picture. LOL. We thanked Michael and Carly and let them get on with their day as they walked into the barn that we had just walked out of. As we walked away I realized that I didn’t mention to Michael that we were due to have a Meet & Greet with him later. It was a surreal experience in so many ways as we are also big fans of Carly Pearce.
We realized that it was going to be okay if the M&G passes didn’t happen. We had the amazing good fortune to meet Michael (and Carly!) and all was good either way. We spent the next hour or so walking around the fairgrounds and were starting to think about getting some delicious fair food before the concert. First, we stopped and got a caricature done of the three of us. I also won a t-shirt from the 97.5 Eagle Country booth along the way. By this time it was close to 5pm. We decided to stop at the “Will Call” booth a little early before grabbing some fair food. To our extreme joy, there was an envelope there waiting for us. It contained a printout of an e-mail from Wendy Mays, Promotions & Special Events Director for Hall Communications Radio Group (which includes 98.9 WOKO). The e-mail informed me that Michael Ray’s tour manager wanted to have us join a “Backstage BBQ” that was planned by WOKO.
It said to meet at the “WOKO shed” at 5pm. I looked at my watch. It was exactly 5pm. Luckily we were very close to the shed and it was a short walk to meet up with them.
![IMG_0274[1]](https://tracksofthedesertson.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_02741.jpg?w=490&h=367)
The entire WOKO team was amazing. They pulled us right in with the rest of the people that were due to meet Michael Ray and they made us feel at home.
We felt a little awkward as all (or most) of the people there had actually bid their way to win a chance to meet Michael Ray. We had heard about this contest after I had received that reply from Michael Ray on Twitter back on 8/3. My wife and I had decided that we would write a check to Michael Ray’s Wrigley Cares Foundation (a/k/a Wrigley Cares: Helping Animals In Need) as soon as we heard about it. We were so pleased to be able to give him the check in person later for a great cause.
The Backstage BBQ, catered by Rick’s Catering, was amazing. We got to meet Michael Ray and Carly Pearce (again)! They remembered us from earlier. When I went to shake Michael’s hand, he said “Good to see you again”. We were starting to feel like stalkers at that point. LOL.
Michael and Carly were both so nice. I awkwardly slipped Michael our check for a modest donation. He was very appreciative, thanking us and shaking our hands again. Michael and Carly are both really talented, and both demonstrated a genuine appreciation for their fans. It was just a great experience for everyone there.
Here is a video that 98.9 WOKO posted from the Backstage BBQ:
Finally, as the BBQ wrapped up, there was one more little surprise. WOKO had a drawing for everyone attending the BBQ to win pairs of M&G passes to meet Old Dominion. I’m not sure how many they gave out, but we were one of the lucky ones. We got a pair of passes that of course went to my wife and my daughter.
It was only fair that I miss out on this one after getting to meet Dierks in 2016. LOL. I was so happy for them.
The concert was amazing with awesome performances by both Michael Ray and Old Dominion.
I hope someone out there has a setlist posted for Michael Ray’s concert. I did find the setlist for Old Dominion here. We can’t wait to see Michael Ray and Old Dominion in concert again some day. We hope to see Carly at some point too!
Thank you again to Michael Ray, Carly Pearce, Old Dominion, and 98.9 WOKO for the amazing experience from start to finish!
PS: Carly Pearce even commented on my Instagram post. So cool!
Album: n/a
Album Release Date: n/a
Label: Capital Records Nashville
Producer: Brett Beavers and Dierks Bentley
Track: “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes” (Acoustic Version)
Single Release Date: February 3, 2009
My Thoughts/Interpretation/Insights: I talked about “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes” back on June 7th. You can check that out HERE. This acoustic version appears to have been released on the same day as the album (Feel That Fire). I’m not sure, but it also looks like it may only be available to download on iTunes. Has anyone seen this available elsewhere for download or on a CD?
I don’t have much to add to my previous blog post about the song, other than to say that this is a very good acoustic performance of the song. Great stuff!
Listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics below! I have also included a link to another live concert version. Enjoy!
I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes
Written by Brett Beavers and Dierks Bentley
Girl I’ve been waitin’ on this long hard day to get over
So I can rest my head right here on your shoulder
I just wanna lay here and feel ya breathe
Listen to the rhythm of your heartbeat
And see where it leads
We’re wide awake but girl I wanna make you close your eyes
And say my name like only you can say it and hold me tight
All I need is only you and me alone tonight
I wanna make you close your eyes
Oh yeah
You can make me work for it girl if you want to
Just leave a trail for me to follow you into the bedroom
And if you need a little bit of help from me
Babe there’s not a button that I can’t reach
Let’s see where it leads
We’re wide awake but girl I wanna make you close your eyes
And say my name like only you can say it and hold me tight
All I need is only you and me alone tonight
I wanna make you close your eyes
I wanna take you somewhere, out there
‘Til the world fades out of sight
We’re wide awake but girl I wanna make you close your eyes
And say my name like only you can say it and hold me tight
Just hold me tight
All I need is only you and me alone tonight
Yeah, I wanna make you close your eyes
Oh
I wanna make you close your eyes, oh
Girl, I wanna make you close your eyes
Album: Feel That Fire
Album Release Date: February 3, 2009
Label: Capital Records Nashville
Producer: Brett Beavers and Dierks Bentley
Track 14: “Since You Came Along”
Single Release Date: n/a
My Thoughts/Interpretation/Insights: Here we are at the fourteenth (and final) track of the album, “Since You Came Along”. This one seems more of a mystery than the 13th track. I say that because the last track (“Do It Well”) was listed on the Digital Booklet for the album, but this one was not. I’m not sure who wrote this one.
I do know that I like this song. This one, for some reason, has a sound that is more like his current album (THE MOUNTAIN). The narrator sings of how his life is better now that his girl has come into his life. Not quite a prelude to “Woman, Amen”, but certainly headed in that direction. It has a classic country sound, and yet sounds a bit more like a “Western”, if that makes any sense.
What do you think of the song? Have you heard it before? Do you like it? Do you know if it is available anywhere besides the iTunes version of the album?
Listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics below! Enjoy!
Since You Came Along
Written by ?
Been rolling down a rusty old set of tracks,
Like a passing train you know ain’t coming back.
With a head of steam and a heart of coal,
And a hunger for living fast.
Spent a lot of time at the dead end of the street,
Too full of pride to ever hit my knees.
Like the cracks in the asphalt,
I wore my scars on my sleeve.
Since you came along,
You’ve filled in all the spaces,
Erased all of the traces,
Of the broken man I used to be baby.
Everything is right and all the lonely days and nights are gone,
Ever since you came along,
Ever since you came along.
Took finding you to see how lost I was,
Now you’re the sun I need to keep coming up.
And all the pieces of the puzzle,
Falling into place because…
Since you came along,
You’ve filled in all the spaces,
Erased all of the traces,
Of the broken man I used to be baby.
Everything is right and all the lonely days and nights are gone,
Ever since you came along.
Since you came along,
You’ve filled in all the spaces,
Erased all of the traces,
Of the broken man I used to be baby.
Everything is right and all the lonely days and nights are gone,
Ever since you came along.
Yeah you filled in all the spaces,
Erased all of the traces,
Of the broken man I used to be baby.
Everything is right and all the lonely days and nights are gone,
Ever since you came along,
Ever since you came along.
Album: Feel That Fire
Album Release Date: February 3, 2009
Label: Capital Records Nashville
Producer: Brett Beavers and Dierks Bentley
Track 13: “Do It Well”
Single Release Date: n/a
My Thoughts/Interpretation/Insights: Some of you may have thought that I would be done exploring this album as most versions of the album only have 12 tracks. The iTunes version of the album, however, has 14 tracks. I’m not sure if you can get the extra two tracks anywhere else.
This track has our narrator trying to convince a girl that he can love her better than anyone else. All the rest of the boys lining up to be with her will only break her heart, but he feels he has what it takes to show her true love. The song itself is enjoyable, but not one of the stronger songs on the album. Certainly not a bad song, but I can understand if the album had to be kept to 12 tracks why this one may have not made the cut. I would love to know how many tracks Dierks has in the vault that have never been released. I hope we get a box set one day that pulls some of these out!
What do you think of the song? Have you heard it before? Do you like it? Do you know if it is available anywhere besides the iTunes version of the album?
Listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics below! Enjoy!
Do It Well
Written by Radney Foster and Dierks Bentley
I’m here to break your heart baby one last time
‘Cause I know what I’m going to say will make you cry
But love’s too precious to watch you waste it all
I’m not here to hurt you I’m here to catch your fall
There’s a long row of heartaches lining up in front of you
Fool after fool trying to see what he can do
Don’t you ever get tired of buying what they’re trying to sell
I’m not saying I’m perfect, hell nobody is
But I’m man enough to hold your tenderness
And if you let me love you I’ll do it well
I’d give anything if you could see the world through my eyes
‘Cause the pain and the price you’re paying is way too high
You been looking for any safe harbor in the storm
But I’m the only one who can mend what’s tattered and torn
There’s a long row of heartaches lining up in front of you
Fool after fool trying to see what he can do
Don’t you ever get tired of buying what they’re trying to sell
I’m not saying I’m perfect, hell nobody is
But I’m man enough to hold your tenderness
And if you let me love you I’ll do it well
Do it well
Like there’s no tomorrow
Do it well
And kiss away all of your sorrow
Not like that long row of heartaches lining up in front of you
Fool after fool trying to see what he can do
Don’t you ever get tired of buying what they’re trying to sell
I’m not saying I’m perfect, hell nobody is
But I’m man enough to hold your tenderness
And if you let me love you I’ll do it well
Baby, if you let me love you I’ll do it well
Tracks of the Desert Son 