14. November 2013
Road-Songs: “Highway Patrol”
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| Junior Brown – ‘Guit With It’ 1993GET IT! |
By Walter Price.
Some may want to debate this choice for a ‘road-song’ and I say bring it!
Junior Brown‘s 1993 single Highway Patrol from his extraordinary album Guit With It is exactly what the road-song is all about. Life on the road, in this case as told through the voice of a hard working member of the state highway patrol. Perfection!
I got a star on my car and one on my chest,
A gun on my hip and the right to arrest
I’m the guy who’s the boss on this highway
So watch out what you’re doin’ when you’re drivin’ my way
If you break the law, you’ll hear from me, I know
I’m a-workin’ for the state, I’m The Highway Patrol
Highway Patrol is probably Austin based Junior Brown’s most successful track. Being featured in several films, promotional campaigns and what have you. The single didn’t really burn up the charts in it’s release, only hitting the #73 spot. But I bet you can’t find a Texan that doesn’t know this amazing example of honky-tonk growl of a tune.
Not only is this a stand-out road-song but Junior Brown is one of the very best and most important western-swing, country honky-tonk artists going. Get to know him if you don’t already. You will be pleased!
“No country artist has opened, or cleaned out, more ears than Junior Brown has with his trusty guit-steel, which can take the stuffing out of a standard arrangement with the crazed authority of a buzzsaw on the loose in a pillow factory.” – No Depression.
For All Things Junior Brown: Website.