Released: 2017
Colter Wall’s ‘Motorcycle’ is a raw and poignant song that dives deep into the themes of despair, self-destruction, and the struggle to cope with inner turmoil. It’s a somber narrative, painting a picture of a man who is grappling with his emotions and resorting to extreme measures to escape his pain.
The opening lines introduce us to a man who’s considering buying a motorcycle, not for the thrill of the ride, but with the intention of crashing it. The ‘pretty little frame’ he refers to is the motorcycle itself, while ‘wrap around a telephone pole’ is a metaphor for a fatal crash. ‘Ride her off a mountain like old Arlo’ is a reference to folk singer Arlo Guthrie, known for his motorcycle songs, suggesting a reckless abandon.
In the second verse, he talks about walking to the liquor store to buy Thunderbird, a cheap, strong wine often associated with heavy drinking. The ‘two bottles, maybe three, maybe four’ indicates excessive drinking, a way to numb his pain. ‘Music Row’ refers to the heart of Nashville’s country music industry, hinting at the pressures of the music business. ‘Pour it on the pavement like you would a tombstone’ suggests a symbolic act of mourning, akin to pouring one out for the dead.
The third verse sees him ‘pop another pill, hop another train’, indicating a cycle of substance abuse and constant movement, a desperate attempt to escape his emotional state. When he says ‘Tell my brothers and my sisters that it’s keeping me sane’, it’s a heartbreaking confession of his struggle, an attempt to justify his destructive behavior.
The song ends as it began, with the protagonist contemplating buying a motorcycle, a chilling reminder of his suicidal thoughts. Colter Wall’s ‘Motorcycle’ is a stark exploration of despair and self-destruction, a haunting portrait of a man wrestling with his demons.
