Story Behind The Song

Jeff Feltenberger of The Badlees was doing a solo project and he asked me if i could come up with a song about NASCAR in a rapid-fire "it's the end of the world as we know it" R.E.M. motif. This is what i came up with.

Song Description

Echotown played this song at gigs in the central pennsylvania area, and there was actually a line dance for it! Mike Morrison's guitar licks are great, and piano by Chris Novak really drives the mix as well.....that's Badlees drummer Ron Simasek driving the track. I had a lot of fun writing it, and they really enjoyed playing it.

Lyrics

race day's a dream or a curse,
the center of the universe
for sharks and talkers,
midway hawkers,
plump groupies and autograph stalkers.
in the middle of a hot one,
they've only got one van space left,
n' it says "handicap".
CMT and TNN and MRN go automotive zen,
and the infield spice,
beer on ice....
spend a hundred dollars on merchandise
for screen prints, double-knit, official licensed
infant wear-like baby, like daddy..
two-mile seas of tents n' RVs,
n' 98 degrees of bar-b-que breeze,
and could someone explain to me
why so many slam Jeff Gordon.
----
lord, i believe i am ready
for a quiet dinner with richard petty.
----
fords n' chevy n' pontiacs,
pit row feuds, and a media fax
about a brand new sponser joining the fold;
could it be the metamucil olds,
or the depends pontiac? tampax chevy?
demographics are researched heavily.
on-board race cams, million dollar gates....
damn them carborator plates.
in a nine-month, seen-one-seen-em-all tour,
schmoozin' with the fans at the walmart store
in Talladega, Richmond, Long Pond, Bristol-.
some kid's whining cuz: you misspelled "kristol:.
back at the track, its a red-hot buzz-
tweaks are alchemy; alchemist does.
and could someone explain to me
why so many slam Jeff Gordon.
----
lord, i believe i am ready
for a quiet dinner with Richard Petty.
----
sunday, they all flock in droves,
beer bellies in too tight clothes,
and a watered-down country music star
singin' the anthem....and she's got a pit pass.
with that colloquial class;
rednecks n' no-necks rubber neckin' at the wrecks,
while two tax brackets away,
corporate sponsors swarm the buffet
in air-conditioned smoked-glass splendor,
with bright concoctions, neat from the blender.
anybody got a cigarette?
anybody got a migrain yetfrom points n' leaks, incentive n' streaks,
n' we'll all be back again next week.....
and could someone explain to me,
why so many slam Jeff Gordon?