Losing touch in Tennessee
Freedom’s got the best of me
Goddamn my opportunities
Goddamn this easy livin’
Gasping for the mountain air
Crawling up the campus stairs
My throne is an electric chair
I’m stunned with indecision
Pray for upgrades on my soul
Tearing through an open road
Questioning my moral code
And screaming at a windshield
Knowing better all along
Knowing all I know is wrong
Throwing up my alcohol
Am I making this a big deal?
Oh, my skull is just a big white house
To some punk-ass kids from out of town
They stay up late, and talk real loud
And sometimes I feel like kicking them out
Self-absorbed most of the time
Obsessed with sex and suicide
The dreams of Texas girls gone by
I lie like California
Stumbling over all the states
Mumbling like a basket case
“Oh, love is like a rattlesnake
Before it bites it tries to warn ya”
But my heart is just a little boy
Holding hands like brand-new toys
Drunk on freedom, stuck on choice
Just cooing for the rattle’s noise
Out of town and two clicks past
I found a western diamondback
It blocks my self-destructive path
I laugh, it shakes its tail
Says, “If you hurt all of your friends
And disappear around the bend
You bet you come right back again
And try to love, though you may fail”
Searching for Meaning in ‘Rattlesnake’
Zach Bryan’s “Rattlesnake” dives deep into the struggles of self-discovery and the restless pursuit of freedom. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of drifting through life, burdened by choices and haunted by the consequences of easy living. Bryan contrasts moments of reflection—such as praying for upgrades to his soul and wrestling with his moral code—with vivid, almost cinematic images of youth and rebellion. The metaphor of love as a rattlesnake encapsulates the duality of desire: alluring yet dangerous, always warning before it strikes. Amidst the chaos of wandering and self-sabotage, Bryan finds moments of clarity, realizing that even when we fail those around us, the journey to love and self-acceptance is worth repeating, no matter the setbacks.
Song Credits
- Artist: Zach Bryan
- Songwriter: Zach Bryan