'Rocket's White Lincoln' by Eric Church – Lyrics & Meaning

After nearly four years, Eric Church has finally released his first taste of new music and his newest artistic chapter, Evangeline vs. The Machine.

Clocking in at 8 songs and around 35 minutes in length, the ninth record from one of country music's most iconic figures finds Church once again mining new sonic and lyrical ground.

Included among the eight tracks, in addition to the lead single, 'Hands of Time,' is 'Rocket's White Lincoln,' a fun offering that manages to capture youth and good times in a bottle, ready to pop open at any moment.

Written solely by Church with production from the revered Jay Joyce–who serves at the helm of the whole record–'Rocket's White Lincoln' sees Church embracing the feelings of nostalgia and freedom that come from youth.

At a cross-section, you can fear elements of '70s funk, southern rock, moody blues and more peppered into the tune, offering up bursts of horns and brass as Church sings into a condenser microphone with much effect.

It's a vibey little ditty that gives off a pot rock energy, tinged with memories of your rebel rousing teenage years.

“Waited all week to feel these tires a hummin’
Just up ahead I see downtown a comin’
I got my buddy in back and his baby beside him
Arm around my honey feels like lightnin’
Hey baby, what we drinkin’
Jet black sky and a big yellow moon is sinkin’
I’m goin’ out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln"

After our narrator worked his way to the weekend, we meet him as he's cruising around town on a Friday night.

Heading into downtown for a fun night out with his girl and his best friend, seemingly nicknamed Rocket, we find the trio high on the energy of the city as they anticipate what may lie ahead of them... the sky is the limit.

“Just hit 65 and the pedal’s on the floorboard
Hula girl shakin’ her hips on the dashboard
Been a long hard week and it’s time we had fun
I know my baby knows I got what she wants when she wants some
And through my shades I smile at what she’s thinkin’
We’ll be out until that big ole sun goes breakin’
I’m goin’ out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln

Hair whippin’ in a window down
Blowin’ our worries away
Heads bobbin’ at the radio sayin’
Come on out and play"

This song, though, isn't about their Friday night escapades, but simply their drives around town.

Drawing attention to the classic hula girl accessory on the dash, the trio are ready to let off some steam and enjoy their freedom and their youth, with no fear of what repercussions or consequences might befall them.

Planning to stay out all night long and go to bed when the sun comes up, we're transported right into the backseat of that Lincoln as their hair flies out the window and the radio blares loud and clear.

“I lean on the horses and the engine light flashes
Hey Rock, I think I hear your muffler draggin’
We gonna get there we gotta get there any how any way
Yeah, double down, double park this old heart can hardly wait
And if the house ain’t rockin’ we gonna do some shakin’
Take all the night will give then keep on takin’
I’m going out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln"

While Church hasn't shared much specifically about 'rocket's White Lincoln,' he has dove into the creative process behind Evangeline vs. The Machine as a whole ahead of the project's release.

“An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time,” Church notes, famously an artist who respects the power of a cohesive album. “I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art–I think it’s important.

“I’ve always let creativity be the muse. It’s been a compass for me,” he adds. “The people that I look up to in my career and the kind of musicians I gravitate to never did what I thought they were going to do next–and I love them for it. I never want our fans to get an album and go, ‘Oh, that’s like Chief or that’s like this.’ Painstakingly, I lose sleep at night to try to make sure that whatever we do creatively, they go, ‘Wow, that's not what I thought.’ I think that's my job as an artist.”

Waited all week to feel these tires a hummin’
Just up ahead I see downtown a comin’
I got my buddy in back and his baby beside him
Arm around my honey feels like lightnin’
Hey baby, what we drinkin’
Jet black sky and a big yellow moon is sinkin’
I’m goin’ out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln

Just hit 65 and the pedal’s on the floorboard
Hula girl shakin’ her hips on the dashboard
Been a long hard week and it’s time we had fun
I know my baby knows I got what she wants when she wants some
And through my shades I smile at what she’s thinkin’
We’ll be out until that big ole sun goes breakin’
I’m goin’ out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln

Hair whippin’ in a window down
Blowin’ our worries away
Heads bobbin’ at the radio sayin’
Come on out and play

I lean on the horses and the engine light flashes
Hey Rock, I think I hear your muffler draggin’
We gonna get there we gotta get there any how any way
Yeah, double down, double park this old heart can hardly wait
And if the house ain’t rockin’ we gonna do some shakin’
Take all the night will give then keep on takin’
I’m going out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln

Yeah, we’re goin’ out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln
Yeah, we’re goin’ out tonight in Rocket’s White Lincoln
Goin’ out, goin’ out tonight
Goin’ out, goin’ out tonight
Goin’ out, goin’ out tonight

––

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