Back in December Colin heard a song that really moved him, so he shared it with all of us in kicking off a new Pencilstorm series, This Song!  The song, “Raining Hallelujah” by Shannon LaBrie is indeed excellent.  Colin had heard the song on the radio, a few months after its release.  Jeremy Porter followed with a song by Centro-Matic.

I’d like to share a song that I think is truly brilliant.  The song is far from new, having been released in 2009, but I’m betting most of you may not know the tune.  “Broken Bottles” by Sons of Bill out of Charlottesville, VA, is to me the perfect Americana song.  It is musically and lyrically excellent in every way.  If lines like “I’m wasted, killing myself just to kill some time” and “Hank Williams might have been a love-sick drinker, but being a love-sick drunk don’t make you Hank” don’t move you a little, then I guess you just won’t like this song.  Here are all the lyrics:

She's still on my mind
I got whiskey on my breath, I'm wasted
Killing myself just to kill some time

And I'm so sick of it all
I been staring at the ceiling getting to feeling
Like smashing my radio up against the wall

Don't want to hear another love song
The voices in my head are singing along
Telling me to be the next ex-lover to
Die in a gutter alone

I'm just so damn sick of it all
Love letters and alcohol
Broken bottles and pain
Here it goes again

She turned this heart of steel to rust
In this world that's turning its still burning
For something in this world that don't turn to dust
And, girl, I've got only you to thank

Hank Williams might have been a love-sick drinker
But being a love-sick drunk don't make you Hank

You will find this song is soulful, and while it could be considered a country song, I find it to be more of an Americana rock and roll song.

 “BROKEN BOTTLES” / RECORDED VERSION

“BROKEN BOTTLES” / ACOUSTIC, LIVE VERSION

I hope everyone who reads this listens to, and loves this song.  It’s one of my all-time favorites.