In My Blood – Black Stone Cherry

Some songs just sound like everything their genre has ever been and will ever be. In My Blood by Black Stone Cherry is nothing if it is not an ‘American Rock’ song.

It sounds like old glory flapping in slow motion against a cloudless blue sky while pick up trucks circle it making donut skid marks in the red dirt (some how in even slower motion).

There’s nothing particularly original about In My Blood. And yet the finesse, the stylistics and the delivery of a clean clear crisp rock song with life affirming lyrics about authenticity and immediacy still works the magic.

“Right here right now were falling apart, while were falling down who knew to hurt would feel this good”

That radio country twinge in the vocal is pure 1988 Bon Jovi. The two reasons Black Stone Cherry aren’t the saviours of rock and roll for the 21st century are clear. It’s not 1988 and they don’t look like Jon Bon Jovi. Other than that these guys will always have an audience if they keep making music this slick. They’re the clean cut face of rock and roll presented as authentic and rebellious. They’re damned good at it too.

“It’s in my blood and its in my bones, in my heart and its in my soul and when I’m gone I hope you’ll understand”

Is the kind of chorus people will sing with all their might back at the band. The ‘It’ never being defined. The looseness and vagaries of the meaning open enough for those who seek to find what they’re looking for, momentarily at least.

BSC work in the right words to reference the greats. They sound a bit Skynyrd so there’s a line with the words ‘Tuesday’ and ‘Gone’ in there. But not in direct reference. More a touchstone for the subconscious.

They reference missing your friends in your old hometown, the song references a calling to be doing whatever it is you’re doing. But ‘In My Blood’ holds your dreams dear while you are grafting nobly away. Again, vague enough to mean almost anything to anyone but for the fans, to mean something directly to them.

When they repeat the ‘I hope you’ll understand’ refrain in that chorus everyone understands loud and clear, because these guys are expert communicators in the language of American Rock.

First time I heard Black Stone Cherry I felt nostalgic. First time I heard In My Blood I was singing along with it.

It’s understandable after all.

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