‘Leadfoot’ by Billy Strings - Lyrics & Meaning

‘Leadfoot’ drifted onto all of our playlists in early August before accelerating into our hearts, with the rip-roaring bluegrass track serving as the lead single from Billy Strings’ highly anticipated 2024 album, Highway Prayers. It was released alongside an eccentric, otherworldly music video, which finds Billy Strings playing the role of a woodland-inspired being plotting against his fellow creature, ‘Leadfoot’.

Seemingly a concept project that'll spin its creative tyres around the theme of cars, Highway Prayers is set to arrive on September 27, continuing a prolific year of releases for the Michigan maverick. Strings dropped his second live album, Live Vol. 1, in July.

‘Leadfoot’ is high-energy, atmospheric and - above all - fun. Billy String croons about the enigmatic titular character across a caffeinated, breathless banjo-led instrumental.

Interestingly, in the credits, Billy Strings is credited as playing a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle - the car mentioned in the lyrics - which implies he inventively uses some part on the automobile to create part of the track. As ’Leadfoot’ reaches its dark climax, he ups the ante of the instrumental accordingly, with Strings not only providing lead vocals, but also playing the banjo, bass, steel guitar and EBow electric guitar (as well as the Chevelle). Mark Chamberlain takes the helm on the drums.

“Well, Leadfoot, Leadfoot racing from the sun

Got a 502 in an old Chevelle, he's letting them ponies run”

‘Leadfoot’ follows the protagonist as he frustratedly complains about the titular character, who's described as driving recklessly in his old Chevrolet Chevelle. Leadfoot - a name that refers to someone who drives too fast - has had a powerful 502 engine installed in the souped-up car, with the narrator remarking on how he's been “letting them ponies run”. This is a play on the ‘horse-power’ of the engine.

“Now, Leadfoot, Leadfoot, carryin' a heavy load

Now don't you step out in the way, when he's racing down the road”

He explains that Leadfoot is “carryin’ a heavy load”, which could mean he's got a lot of freight on the boot, or it could be a hint that Leadfoot is struggling with some weightier mental issues. Perhaps these struggles are what provoke him to drive so fast.

“Well, I heard old Leadfoot comin' from a mile and a half away

I stepped out on the street there and here's what I had to say

I said, "Hey now, hey now! Slow that old thing down

This city ain't your highway, you're tearing up my town"

The protagonist reaches the end of his tether and decides to confront Leadfoot as he races along his street, demanding that he slows down so as to protect the local town.

“Well late last night I heard the crash from up by Yeoman's Hill

It was a feeling I had all along

I knew he finally killed himself in that old car

And I ran down to see the rising flame

Just then I realized I never even knew his name”

It seems his reprimands were ignored, as the narrator then recalls hearing a crash late at night near a site called ‘Yeoman's Hill’. Leadfoot's dangerous driving has caught up with him, it seems, as Strings outlines how he's “killed himself in that old car”.

Despite undoubtedly portraying Leadfoot negatively throughout the song, we get a twinge of guilt here from the protagonist, as he realises he never bothered to ask his name.

“Just called him ‘Leadfoot, Leadfoot racing from the sun

Had a 502 in an old Chevelle

He was letting them ponies run’”

The key refrain is repeated here, with each line shifted into the past tense to reflect Leadfoot's passing. In the music video, there's a twist at the end, with the Leadfoot character emerging from the accident and interrupting the narrator's celebrations with his neighbors to reclaim his steering wheel. Additionally, in the visuals, it's implied the protagonist had an active hand in bringing about the crash.

Although Billy Strings hasn't delved into the creation of ’Leadfoot’ in detail just yet, he did share a retro promotional graphic capturing the spirit of the new album as a whole, Highway Prayers, consisting of a series of lyrics from the car-themed project.

“Well, Leadfoot, Leadfoot racing from the sun

Got a 502 in an old Chevelle, he's letting them ponies run

-

Now, Leadfoot, Leadfoot, carryin' a heavy load

Now don't you step out in the way, when he's racing down the road

-

Well, I heard old Leadfoot comin' from a mile and a half away

I stepped out on the street there and here's what I had to say

I said, "Hey now, hey now! Slow that old thing down

This city ain't your highway, you're tearing up my town"

-

Well, Leadfoot, Leadfoot racing from the sun

Got a 502 in an old Chevelle, he's letting them ponies run

-

Well late last night I heard the crash from up by Yeoman's Hill

It was a feeling I had all along

I knew he finally killed himself in that old car

And I ran down to see the rising flame

Just then I realized I never even knew his name

-

Just called him ‘Leadfoot, Leadfoot racing from the sun

Had a 502 in an old Chevelle

He was letting them ponies run’”

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