Dan Colehour - Straight To The Highway

"Quarry Town" is one of those songs that sounds like it was written from first-hand experience, whether it really was or not There's an honesty and storytelling vibe to it that makes listeners believe what is being said. Young boys turning into men is what you'll find in this "small town" song setting. What they have is handed down to children, and so on. "Who you are is a little of where you from," says Dan. "The Likes Of Us" has a similar sound to "Quarry Town," but this time the lyrics are about a man who likes to take a break from work to dream about him driving around with the woman he loves. From there it goes into lines about a woman wishing she could feel her long blonde hair blowing in the wind as she looks out an open car window. When the town gets under their skin, they know what it takes to get away from it all. Continuing on with the "open road" theme is "Leaving Meridian," only this is the lonely side of the line. The man doesn't think the town is home anymore since all he's feeling now is heartbreak. He wants to save himself from the pain, by heading on down to Mexico and moving on with his life.

The title "Father's Son" sounded familiar to me when I read the track list and once I listened to it, I realized it was the same song Montgomery Gentry had on their Carrying On album. The arrangement is almost exactly the same, but Dan's version has more of a gritty and raw sound that I love. "Turn this earth over one more time; Some say this way of life is done, but not for my father's son" sums up the whole song in just one line. Not everyone is willing to change things just because they can. They value tradition and stand as steady as a rock for what they feel is right. It is definitely one of my favorites, as is "Your Secret's Safe With Me." I love how this song was written. In the beginning you aren't quite sure where the lyrics will take you so you pay more attention. Then you find out a man is paying his respects to a friend who got mixed in with the bad crowd. Things never turn out right when you dance with devil, because someone will always wind up paying a high price in the end. What a final stamp to seal up the end of Straight To The Highway.