Trucking Music Review: ‘On the Road Again’
AND WE’RE BACK! We’ve got another wonderful review for your enjoyment. Again, this is the Trucking Music Review, where I review truck-driving country music that I’m experiencing for the first time.
This week, I’m cheating a bit. While other reviews have featured music that makes specific references to trucking, today’s song will not be following that rule.
We’ll be reviewing “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson. This song really has nothing to do with trucking specifically, but it’s about being on the road and last time I checked, truck drivers are on the road.
Created for the soundtrack of the film Honeysuckle Rose (which Nelson also starred in), the song was Nelson’s 9th Country & Western number 1 overall hit. Nelson is a country music icon and is renowned for being one of the greatest of all time.
According to Genius, Nelson wrote the song as an homage to his love for touring with his pals. Truckers sure aren’t traveling around the country to perform, but I’m sure they can connect with the feeling of being out on the open road.
The instrumentals throughout the song are wonderful. The banjo, guitar, and harmonica really complement Nelson’s voice nicely and they all mesh perfectly together. But, the song’s lyrics are not complex at all, and extremely repetitive which I don’t feel like does it much justice.
There’s really a lot of room to expand on the feelings of being out on the road, considering how much you get to experience. Because of this, it’s really a shame that Nelson didn’t take the opportunity to do so.
Nonetheless, the song was made for a movie soundtrack, so I can’t blame him much.
Sonically, this song is probably the best one I’ve heard so far. The brevity of the track is really eclipsed by its quality. Nelson’s love for being on the road is expressed well enough, honestly.
It’s also extremely catchy, and it’ll most likely be stuck in my head for a while now. Thanks a lot, Willie.
Overall, an enjoyable song that while short, is still ultimately impactful and great. This is a 9/10.
So what do you think of the song? Let us know in the comments or on social media!
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