‘Dead End Road (From Twisters: The Album)’ by Jelly Roll - Lyrics & Meaning

When the 2024 Twisters movie remake was announced, the country music world was delighted to see it was being accompanied by a blockbuster soundtrack featuring an A-list cast, including Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman and more.

Undoubtedly one of the most hotly anticipated songs from the record, Jelly Roll's ‘Dead End Road’ arrived in tandem with the full-length project on July 19th, with the ‘Need A Favor’ hitmaker treating fans to the official music video on the same date.

The visuals revolve around Jelly Roll as he drives into the eye of the tornado, before we see him standing in a house as the violent weather tears the roof and walls apart. Those who have seen the film will notice Jelly is in the same truck used by the storm-chasers.

‘Dead End Road’ follows in a similar vein to Jelly Roll's latest Country Radio No. 1, ‘Halfway to Hell’, which featured on his acclaimed debut country album last year, Whitsitt Chapel.

Opening with a furious, distorted sea of electric guitars, Jelly Roll's distinctive rasp then charges across an energising drum pattern before he reaches the stormy chorus. ‘Dead End Road’ is pervaded by Jelly's signature combination of darker, brooding textures and quietly hopeful tones, with the Nashville native once again showcasing the emotionality and vulnerability he's consistently able to lace into his vocals.

“I’m just an underthinkin’, overusin’, tall drinkin’, short fusin’

Gettin’ in my own way

I’m just a blood-stained, folded hands

Throwin’ back the milligrams

I can’t find the breaks

I’m hiding from the sun

Devil ridin’ shotgun

God knows Ima crash and burn”

Jelly Roll kicks off ‘Dead End Road’ with a vulnerable, self-reproaching list of all his flaws, with Jelly utilising a satisfying flurry of witty juxtaposition to emphasise his point. He shares that he under-thinks yet over-uses drugs, before underlining his love for tall, alcoholic drinks, which don't tend to mix well with his short temper.

He reveals he's been leaning on prayer in an attempt to get to a better place in life, as well as hinting at all the challenges and obstacles he's faced through the imagery of “blood-stained, folded hands”. We get another reference to Jelly's history with drugs, with the genre-blending maverick sharing he's “Throwin’ back the milligrams”, with ‘milligrams’ being a common way of measuring drugs.

The protagonist explains he's spending his time inside and is “hiding from the sun”, before describing how the Devil is sat beside him whispering destructive advice in his ear.

This foreshadows the first lyric of the chorus about Jelly being on the “highway to hell”. In the music video for ’Dead End Road’, the camera films him from the passenger seat, creating the sense that the viewer is watching Jelly from the Devil's perspective.

“Cause that highway to hell is the road I’m on

I need to turn around before I’m too far gone

If I’m ever gonna make it on them streets of gold

I gotta quit livin’ on a dead end road”

Jelly Roll outlines how he's on a one-way fast-track to hell, thanks to his negative habits. He determines to make a u-turn before it's too late, with Jelly harbouring hopes of one day making it to the “streets of gold” traditionally associated with Heaven. Here, we get the clever titular punchline, with Jelly Roll juxtaposing ‘living’ and ‘dying’ with the key line, “I gotta quit livin’ on a dead end road”.

“I’m a red-linin’, low-lifein’, anything but law abidin’

Feels too good to quit

I’m running off the edge, they say I’m just a wreck

Digging me deeper than six”

To cross the ‘red line’ is a phrase generally used to mean going to a point from which you can never return, again touching on the main theme of the ‘Dead End Road’ chorus. The protagonist describes himself as a ‘low life’ and a perennial law-breaker.

He hints at the addictive nature of this outlaw lifestyle, which has propelled him “off the edge” and has consolidated his position on a ‘Dead End Road’. Jelly Roll doubles-down on the death-related imagery by portraying himself as being buried “deeper than six”, referring to the typical ‘six feet under’ at which people are laid to rest.

“I’m gonna die livin’ on a dead end road”

While Jelly Roll infuses the optimism we've all come to know and love him for into ‘Dead End Road’, he concludes the track with the ominous line that he's “gonna die livin’ on a dead end road’. The interwoven transition from ‘die’ to ‘livin’ to ‘dead’ is the cherry on top in terms of the wordplay, with Jelly affirming once again that he needs to change his ways if he's going to make it to those pearly gates.

Jelly Roll hasn't delved into the creation of ‘Dead End Road’ in too much depth yet, but when announcing the new single, the ‘Need A Favor’ hitmaker teased that it would be a tempestuous anthem worthy of the film, warning fans to “get ready to chase the wind”.

“I’m just an underthinkin’, overusin’, tall drinkin’, short fusin’

Gettin’ in my own way

I’m just a blood-stained, folded hands

Throwin’ back the milligrams

I can’t find the breaks

I’m hiding from the sun

Devil ridin’ shotgun

God knows Ima crash and burn

-

Cause that highway to hell is the road I’m on

I need to turn around before I’m too far gone

If I’m ever gonna make it on them streets of gold

I gotta quit livin’ on a dead end road

-

I’m a red-linin’, low-lifein’, anything but law abidin’

Feels too good to quit

I’m running off the edge, they say I’m just a wreck

Digging me deeper than six

-

Cause that highway to hell is the road I’m on

I need to turn around before I’m too far gone

If I’m ever gonna make it on them streets of gold

I gotta quit livin’ on a dead end road

-

I’m gonna die livin’ on a dead end road

I’m gonna die livin’ on a dead end road

I’m gonna die livin’ on a dead end road

Die livin’ on a dead end road

-

Cause that highway to hell is the road I’m on

I need to turn around before I’m too far gone

If I’m ever gonna make it on them streets of gold

I gotta quit livin’ on a dead end road

If I’m ever gonna make it on them streets of gold

I gotta quit livin’ on a dead end road”

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