Following the success of 2015’s Grammy-nominated, Mr. Misunderstood, Eric Church had some major shoes to fill. When you release an album as well-rounded and captivating as Mr. Misunderstood was, it’s hard to produce a worthy follow-up. Though I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is as good as the masterpiece that Mr. Misunderstood is, Desperate Man is certainly flirting with it.
In Desperate Man, Church delivered something that was severely missing in his 2021 Heart & Soul project. That is the cynicism and overall maturity that was shown in both Desperate Man and Mr. Misunderstood. Though it may not seem like it on the surface, the album contains a lot of interesting concepts. None is more interesting than the opener, “The Snake.”
The Snake is a track that feels like Church at his most authentic. He’s gone on record by saying that he doesn’t buy into the U.S.’s two-party system and has actively voted on both sides of the aisle. Here, he takes aim at both parties, painting them as the titular snakes.
“Rattlesnake, Copperhead
Either one of them’ll kill you dead
We stay hungry, they get fed
And don’t pass the plate around
Lie by lie, cheat by cheat
Venom in smiling teeth
They just run those forked tongues
And the whole world’s burning down”
In a time that is chalked full of politicians who make promises they don’t keep while they simultaneously line their pockets, “The Snake” is one of those tracks that will never age poorly. It’s such a moving, jaded look at the current state of our government. Ultimately, Church says what a lot of us are thinking in this song penned by him and long-time co-writers, Jeremy Spillman and Travis Meadows.
The political messaging doesn’t end there with the closing track, “Drowning Man,” also sharing a similar jaded perspective on the government. Here, instead of using snakes as an allegory of the two-party system, Church paints himself (and the listener) as the titular drowning man. Particularly, he comments on how blue-collar workers and the working class in general have been abandoned by the government and politicians. This once again connects back to his thoughts on politicians lining their pockets at the expense of the working class.
“We put the smoke in the stack
Put the seed in the ground
While Lady Liberty turns her back
And Uncle Sam just turns around”
It might seem like a throw-away, one-off line; however, the imagery of Lady Liberty turning her back on Americans is an incredibly powerful one. It’s not hard to see why Church and many others may feel this way nowadays, and Church expresses these views incredibly eloquently on this track.
As for awards and sales, Desperate Man was nominated for Album of the Year at the ACM, CMA and CMT Awards. “Some Of It” was also nominated for multiple awards, earning a Song of the Year nomination at the ACMs. The album and song were also nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. The record itself is currently certified gold by the RIAA. It also boasts two platinum singles, the title track and Some of It, as well as a gold single, “Monsters.“
Desperate Man is one of those records that get better with age. While it isn’t an album that has flashy singles or incredible chart success, it’s an album that further shows Church’s maturity and journey into fatherhood as well. While there are still flashes of his rambling, younger days with the title track, the album is a much more reflective one. It feels like a natural sequel to Mr. Misunderstood and an evolution of Church’s sound in general. “Some of It,” “Monsters” and “Hippie Radio” all further his dive into fatherhood while tracks like Drowning Man and The Snake show Church at his most cynical. Desperate Man certainly isn’t for everyone. However, it is certainly one of his most captivating records.
Listen to “Desperate Man,” “The Snake” and “Hippie Radio” here: