Songwriter Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert Can’t Outrun Their Raisin’ in ‘Polyester’ [Listen]
No matter where you go, there'll always be people who remember you from back when. Even award-winning songwriter Luke Dick and country superstar Miranda Lambert can't outrun their raisin' in the new song "Polyester."
Written by Dick and Chris DuBois, "Polyester" finds both Dick and Lambert reflecting on beating the odds: "20 to one, I wouldn't get my diploma / But there it is hanging on the wall," Dick sings in the first verse, later adding, "Now I got a couple kids in the backyard swinging / Miles away from my upbringing." In the second verse, Lambert offers, "Now I got a nice house in Tennessee / Ain't got wheels, but it's got AC ... Million to one, I wouldn't hit a gold record / There it is hanging on the wall."
"Hail, hail, trailer park hero / Got a new car and a used tuxedo / All hail, look at you now / Got your first comma in your bank account," they harmonize in the chorus. "Well, you made it out, but you're still in / We still remember when ... You might wear leather, but you're made of polyester."
"Polyester" comes from the soundtrack to Red Dog, a documentary about a topless bar in Oklahoma City, Okla., where Dick's mother Kim worked during his childhood. Featuring interviews with the venue's former employees and patrons, and music courtesy of Dick, the film is the tunesmith's attempt to share his upbringing through the story of the bar.
"This soundtrack is directly inspired by the lives and characters in my documentary. For over 10 years, I interviewed my mother, fathers, dancers, musicians, cops and even some ghosts about the infamous Oklahoma City topless bar. They worked there, led their young lives there, and most of them lived to tell the tale," Dick shares in a press release. "The concepts for the songs originated through so many personal experiences — through lives and hearts — and come out the other side of my weird brain ... The record reflects the history of real people, wrapped up in backbeats and ballads, presented through swagger and sadness. On top of it all, it encapsulates joy, pain, hope and laughter."
In addition to Lambert, Red Dog's soundtrack also features Dierks Bentley ("Blazer"), Natalie Hemby ("Mothers and Sons") and rising artist Jackson Dean ("B Level Hustler"); Patrick Carney of the Black Keys produced and sings on a song, "Oklahomie," that he and Dick co-wrote. Music From the Documentary 'Red Dog' is due out in full on Dec. 4.
Dick, Lambert and Hemby co-wrote Lambert's ACM- and CMA-nominated No. 1 hit "Bluebird." In addition to being a filmmaker and lauded Nashville writer, Dick is also a member of the pop-punk band Hey Steve.
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