Sunday Music: West Virginia (With The Front Bottoms)

Maybe it was Richmond, Indianapolis that made me think of Richmond, Virginia that made me think of “West Virginia” by The Front Bottoms. Maybe it was the nearly 12 hours of highway time I had already clocked that day. Maybe it was the last gasp of coffee on my breath before I pulled into the gas station.

Sometimes you just have to hear a song. This was one of those times. I put gas in the van and pulled it up on my phone.

The intro came on as I was pulling out of the lot and heading off to find my hotel for the night.

“Is it raining where you are?”The only thing I could think to askBut nothing ever hurt so badAs the “no” that you said back

I turned it up. Like, loud. I had to feel it wash over me.

And then I was in the hotel parking lot way too fast. “West Virginia” is a short song and apparently Hotel Tonight found me hotel that was even shorter to drive to. There was a pair of guys drinking anything but ice cold Bud’s sitting in the bed of a pickup. It was a sweaty Friday night with the sun just turning down. Everybody was calling the end of their week I guess.

As I pulled into a spot the bridge came on,

Like I said I thought I was focusedI thought I had it all figured outI had to organize my words goodBefore they’d fall right out my mouthAnd I had learned that the directionI was walking was so wrongI just need a little help here, manTo find the path I should be on

The Bud boys glanced at me for a second. They had their beers, I had my song. I let it finish. I forgot to turn the volume down as I shut the van off (which would scare the shit out of me the next morning when I turned it back on), and I walked into my hotel.

Welcome to Richmond, not Virginia, not even remotely West Virginia. I was still singing the bridge when I walked into my room and collapsed onto the bed.

“Maybe I need some friends in West Virginia too,” I thought. “Maybe. Something.”