Each Friday I pick a song–new, old, borrowed, blue–that’s been on my mind and in my ears, and write a short post about it.

This is “Call to Arms” by Sturgill Simpson:

So, your band has been invited to perform on national television.  Are you nervous? Are you worrying about not making mistakes? Or do you know that you’re in the best band on earth, because this band is your band, and your band was made for you and me, and so you and your band go out there and use your two songs to show the rest of the world just how awesome your band is?  Did Sturgill Simpson leave any sinew out of this performance? Did Sturgill Simpson’s drummer leave any muscle out of this performance? Did Sturgill Simpson’s bassist leave any tendon unstrained? Did Sturgill Simpon’s lead guitarist leave any drop of blood unpumped?  Did that organ player who looks like a Ramone not wear out the soles of his shoes? Did the trumpet player not dad-dance to the best of his ability while blowing the highest, loudest, hardest notes? Did the trombonist not crank those blurps and blaps and that big riff with all his might? Did the tenor and baritone sax player leave a note unrumbled across his two instruments? Was this not the greatest call to country-blues-rock-n-roll arms you ever saw on television? Good Lord, it was, and it is, and it will be for a very long time to come, if not for ever.