Blogger #5

Song: I Drive Your Truck by Lee Brice
Genre: Country

This song was created from a story that was told on Memorial Day via radio show by a couple who had lost one of their sons in Afghanistan.

The song doesn't touch on Veteran homelessness specifically but I believe it connects people emotionally and reminds us what military members risk and may leave behind. Their importance to not only our country but their families. After all, the song was based on a true story and how a family coped with the loss of their son. "Momma asked me this morning if I'd been by your grave but that flag and stone ain't where I feel you anyway.. I drive your truck"

I don't know much about Lee Brice except that he's an upcoming country artist and many, many people listen to him as he has quite a few songs that relate personally to many others lives especially on the romantic/emotional side.

Three other song writers put the song together for him but the song was initially heard and started by Connie Harrington. The story she heard moved her so much that she felt it deserved to be put into a song and because it was a male who passed she also brought in a male songwriter to bring all perspectives into the song.

The video also adds a heaviness to the song giving a visual of descriptive lyrics like the opening lines for example, "89 cents in the ashtray, half empty bottle of Gatorade rolling on the floorboards" this makes the event of loss very real in the sense that who knows how long it's been since who he is singing about has been gone yet his truck is exactly how he left it on the inside. Very emotional and connecting it directly to a military member with the dog tags and army shirt lyrics remind me that we lose military members every day for whatever reason. That then brings an open mind or an open heart for that matter to dilemmas that they and their families face even outside of the service.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBEBbgQEJy4
Article: http://www.countryweekly.com/music/behind-song-i-drive-your-truck-lee-brice