Jason Isbell: A simple yet effective storyteller
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Jason Isbell is a Country Rock artist who showcases his talent through his effective lyrical storytelling.
Jason Isbell and his accompanying band, The 400 Unit, represent a genre uncommon to many: Country rock. Of course, country rock artists such as Chris Stapelton, The Avett Brothers, and Orville Peck have gained some exposure over the past decade—and rightfully so—but many dismiss the entire country genre based on what they hear from the radio or the billboard charts. Country, I would argue, is a versatile genre with so much to offer; Jason Isbell deserves your attention, even if you are apprehensive about country music as a whole.
Before this deep dive into his work, allow me to preface how I was introduced to Jason Isbell. After one of my classes, my professor mentioned him in a conversation about music. While it may have taken me weeks to give him a chance—having time and being a student is a rare combination—I was pleasantly surprised when I finally had the opportunity to listen to him. Jason Isbell is a great artist. Why do I think that? It is all in his talent for storytelling.
Let us analyze the lyrics to his song, “Traveling Alone,” for example. The song starts with the lyrics: “Mountains rough this time of year, close the highway down. They don't warn the town, I've been fightin' second gear for fifteen miles or so, tryna beat the angry snow.” It is a simple yet image-rich start to a song, placing the listener in a strong sense of narrative setting.
Isbell continues in the song, “And I know every town worth passing through. What good does knowing do with no one to show it to?” Here, the title truly gets pulled through to the song’s heart. We see our singer knowing there are probably places he could enjoy, yet can’t imagine himself enjoying while alone.
The chorus then crescendos, “I've grown tired of traveling alone, tired of traveling alone, I've grown tired of traveling alone. Won't you ride with me? Won't you ride? Won't you ride?” The final repetitious lines do well to reflect Isbell’s desperation and need for someone to be in the car with him—to help him avoid that harrowing feeling of loneliness. While that was an example of Isbell’s simpler storytelling, he also has more metaphorical songs.
A good example of this is the song “White Beretta,” a tale about getting an abortion. Like other songs that cover that topic, the lines are subtle. The intro: “We were running through the red lights in a hurry to get to nowhere in a white Beretta. We'll go to Memphis in the morning to get it over with, and in a couple of days, you'll feel a lot better.” This series of lyrics implies that the man is rushing out of town for something rather urgent, though not seemingly directly related to him himself. Additional lyrics such as “And I’m sorry you had to go in that room alone” and “Raided in the church, washed in the blood. And we all were saved before we even left home. I thank God you weren’t brought up like me, with all that shame and certainty,” show that the operation is considered “sinful” to traditional religion. It is a song that hits you hard and showcases how Isbell utilizes songs as a storytelling medium.
Jason Isbell is a country singer who can really affect your emotions. His storytelling is simple yet extremely effective in its narrative structure and resonance. Check him out and find him on all your normal streaming services!