Real Man or Punk Bitch? A Review of Drive by Truckers - The Dirty South
Disclaimer - I’m quite certain this post will anger some: not my intention - not my fault. Stop reading now if you like.
There are somethings that men do not do. FOR EXAMPLE:
A man does not email staff, asking for help with a critical situation, and also CC the CEO to draw attention to himself and the problem. If you need help, ask, but kiss ass and cause drama on your own time. People are, by nature, less likely to put much effort into helping you, if you are throwing them under a bus while asking.
A man does not tell his friends to quit their job to join his new venture unless the funding is locked down OR you tell your new employees they may not get paid. Convincing people to leave paying jobs, when you don’t actually have a job yourself or a real company with cash flow for that matter, is wrong at every level. What’s worse is after you’ve cost those people tens of thousands in real savings (not just lost income), lost houses, credit issues and failed marriages, you then pick up the phone and ask for help with a new “iPhone Apps” business idea you’ve been pitched. Please. You, my ex-friend, are a punk bitch. Make good on the damage you’ve done, or at least admit your wrong doings before calling me again.
A man does not throw himself down on the ground and cry for ANY reason. Except maybe if you’ve been shot… somewhere painful. If your mama died, or your lady is leaving you or your dog bites your balls; suck that shit up and move on. And if you actually do drop to your knees to cry and beg to keep your job or beg for her not to walk, don’t be surprised when someone pukes on the back of your head for making them physically sick over what a punk bitch you really are.
When did some men get so fucking weak? When did this entire “CYA - cover your ass” culture thing start? Way too many people have excuses for everything and yet seem to accomplish nothing.
This morning, when someone on Twitter asked about our most favorite albums, it all kind of clicked for me. During the past several years, I have literally worn out copies of The Dirty South by Drive By Truckers. There are MANY great tracks off this 2004 album - “Daddy’s Cup” was the one that caught my ear while shuffling thru a Chapel Hill record store, but the one that stands out strong is “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”. Here’s a bit of the good stuff from Mike Cooley of DBT:
Mr. Phillips found old Johnny Cash while he was high.
High before he ever took those pills and he’s still too proud to die.
Mr. Phillips never said anything behind nobody’s back
Like “Dammit Elvis, don’t you know, you ain’t no Johnny Cash”But Mr. Phillips was the only man that Jerry Lee still would call “sir”
Then I guess Mr. Phillips did all of Y’all - about as good as you deserve
He did just what he said he’s gonna do and the money came in sacks
New contracts and a Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
There is a lot of power there. Simple statements about respect, talking face-to-face and doing what you say you are going to do. “Come hell or high water”, as my step-father would say. And the resulting benefits of money in sacks, new contracts and a big-ass Cadillac. Sign me up.
Even the opening line, “Life ain’t nothing but a blending of all the ups and downs,” speaks volumes. I always think about my wife’s grandfather and his life. He just turned 90 a few weeks back. I shot a video with him five years ago, where he talks about his month long journey cross-country that he and his buddies took back in the 30’s. He talks about being a fighter pilot in the war and his plane going down. How he journeyed on foot through the jungle for 25 days to get back to his base camp. He has clippings from the paper because no one knew whether he was alive or dead. The guy came back, received his awards, raised six kids with his wife, and spent over 20 years with General Electric in Louisville (pronounced Lou-uh-vill) as a sales and marketing executive before retiring in 1980. But the “guy” hasn’t stopped. He still plays golf, almost daily, with a handicap I would be happy to have. He still sells real estate - condos to retirees in Florida. He drives himself and his new lady to dinner almost every night, in a Cadillac of course. Just last Summer we all packed into two cars so he could take us all out for ice cream after dinner - he LOVES ice cream. Now I see where my wife gets it from and where her father got it from! And now we are preparing for his 90th birthday celebration at the home he built on Cape Cod over 40 years ago. There’s no question; he is not a “guy”. He’s a man. A man with some faults, to be certain, but a man, none the less.
I am damn proud to know him for as long as both of us are still around.
And I think, during these difficult times, we all need to “man-up” a little more. Take responsibility for your actions and admit when your wrong. Do what you say you are going to do - plain and simple. Defend with honor what you believe in, regardless of potential outcome. And enjoy the birthday cakes and ice cream while you can.
-pjc