As Vulture Magazine put it, this became the Mount Rushmore of sketches, to the degree that Christopher Walken later said it ruined his life because every time he walked into a room from then on (the year 2000), everyone would call out “More cowbell.” But the song was released in 1976 and I was already saying “more Reaper” as I headed east into the desert and into the story that I was writing. Not sure which one I like better; the original by Seger is perhaps more engaging as it’s one guy singing about hitting the road after a gig – Here I am, on the road again/There I am, up on the stage/There I go playin’ the star again/There I go, turn the page – and the anguish is apparent, though it certainly applies to any guy fleeing his past or current obligations, remaining front and center as he disappears. Deanne Stillman’s previous books include American Confidential (see playlist here), Blood Brothers, which was named a “best of the year” in the millions and True West Magazine and was excerpted in Newsweek, for which she listened to pow-wow music and cowboy songs, and the same goes for her book Mustang, with hard rock and heavy metal and surf music part of the mix.
Author: largeheartedboy
Published at: 2026-04-01 21:59:43
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