Music Review: Florida Georgia Line "Dirt"
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Florida Georgia Line
Dirt
Album: TBD
Year: 2014
Tyler Hubbard looks back on his life in the solemn “Dirt.”
In the spoken intro, an older male says his life changed on the farm. It was then that Rosie, who he always liked from afar, decided to start speaking to him. She would make sandwiches for the both of them and together, they would take lunch together. It was 1968. (“I'll tell you something, 1968 was just another year, the fields needed tilling and there wasn't enough rain. But it was the first year Rosie started bringing my lunch out to the field every day.”)
A pensive guitar opens the single, setting a comtemplative tone. Hubbard says the mud may seem to be a nuisance. However, it is involved in every significant moment of people’s lives. It can help create a tender moment or bring a thrill. It will feed families. It’s the only reliable thing on earth. (“You get your hands in it/Plant your roots in it/Dusty head light, dance with your boots in it (dirt)/You write her name on it/Spin your tires on it/Build your corn field, whiskey, bonfires on it (dirt)/You bet your life on it, yeah/It's that.”)
In the chorus, he continues saying the grass is where as a teenager he celebrated winning the football game with his classmates. The ditches on the side of the road caused his car to get stuck during a thunderstorm. Dreams are built on the land. He imagined a house with a white picket fence with Rosie. (“Elm shade, red rust clay you grew upon/That plowed up ground, that your dad damned his luck on/That post game party field you circle up on/And when it rains you get stuck on/Drift a cloud back behind county roads that you run up/And mud on her jeans that she peeled off and hung up/Her blue-eyed summertime smile looks so good that it hurts/Makes you wanna build a 10 percent down white picket fence house on this dirt.”)
In the spoken interlude, he says he ended up marrying Rose. There were years they scraped by, making sure their four children had food and clothes to eat. In the 70s, they grieved the passing of their baby. He had to be strong for his wife even though he wanted to crumble. (“Rosie and I had five children, one died at birth, they were tough times, tough years, did okay.”)
Brian Kelley says at the funeral, they each took a handful of dirt and put on the tiny coffin. On the side of the road, he has seen flowers, a makeshift memorial. Death is eventual for everyone. (“You've mixed some sweat with it/Taking a shovel to it/You've stuck some crosses and some painted/Goal posts through it (dirt)/You know you came from it (dirt)/And some day you'll return to.”)
The chorus is sung again.
In the next spoken interlude, he says it was the late 90s. Their children were grown and both had retired. He asked her if she wanted to buy an RV and spend their days visiting everything they’d seen on television. She told him she didn’t need it. Being with him is enough for her. (“I asked Rosie one time if she wanted to travel to see the world, and no she said "the world comes right to my window every day"... Even if it's broken (You know you came from it (dirt, dirt) And some day you'll return to.”)
The chorus is sung again.
In the last spoken interlude, he is now a widow. Rosie knew the important things in life. Every day, his children call him. They moved closer to be with him and they all take turns visiting him. His wife made really excellent pies for holiday meals. His daughter has told him stories of she tried to recreate it. She would always complain to him about the baseball field he made. After some of grandchildren broke the window, he has to agree with her. (“See Rosie was right about two things: you don't have to see the world to be worldly, just raise good children, make good enough pies and the world will come right to your kitchen window. She's right about something else too, I built that baseball diamond way too close to the kitchen.
Kelley says “you know you came from it, someday you’ll return to it.”
Florida Georgia Line’s vocals have corrected one major problem: letting Kelley sing a verse or two every once in awhile. However, the song should’ve been mostly his due to his quiet voice.Hubbard still does most of the work and he’s ready to break out the beer at any moment.
The spoken interludes by the male actor (which seems to be video only) fleshes out the song. It gives the single a heart. Without it (like the lyric video), it’s a bunch of generic actions associated with morality.
The lumpy “Dirt” has let the beer from its multiple party songs destroy whatever thoughtful brain cells left.