New Year’s Day – Charlie Robison

Charlie Robison is an incredibly underrated country artist, perhaps more recognized for his marriage and divorce from one of the Dixie Chicks than his music. This song encapsulates that perfectly. Whenever I play this tune for people, I usually say something along the lines of “This is the greatest country song you’ve never heard”. (Unless you’re versed in Red Dirt country, of course) Upbeat, catchy, simple, and paired with some amazingly wild lyrics. It doesn’t get any more cowboy than this song.

Robison tells the tale of a guy who wakes up with a wild hair to divorce his wife and go on a bender in Mexico, and the various characters he encounters along the way. Is he speaking from experience, or is he just telling a story? Who knows, but this song about a “cultural exchange” on the border reminds me of a book I recently read, featuring a DEA agent venturing into “Boys Town” for undercover work just across the border from Laredo. My best guess is Charlie is giving a sort of overview of what that place is like.

Unfortunately, Charlie passed away unexpectedly in September of last year, without ever really making it big outside of the red dirt area. But as long as I’m around, I’ll continue to introduce people to the best country song they’ve never heard. Big shoutout to RFR for introducing me to this song a few years ago on spring break.

Link to song – https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=charlie+robison+new+year%27s+day

Link to live performance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrI7PHm7kxk

What I assume he’s singing about – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy%27s_Town,_Nuevo_Laredo