A Closer Look at Eric Church’s ‘Desperate Man’ Album: The Deep Tracks You Missed

While most artists chase radio hits, Eric Church strives to create albums that you listen to from start to finish; no skips allowed. His 2018 album, Desperate Man, is a prime example of that. Sure, the title track and some singles lit up country radio, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll find songs that prove Church doesn’t just add songs to his albums just for the sake of it.  

While writing Desperate Man, the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest shooting affected Church’s songwriting approach. The “Love Your Love the Most” singer was supposed to headline the festival two nights prior to the shooting and expressed, “something broke in me” during a concert reflection at the Grand Ole Opry.   

Church has also been open about survivor’s guilt and that the shooting “wrecked me in a lot of ways” and he went through a “funk” for a couple of months after the event. Church was motivated to perform again after seeing Heather Melton’s interview, a survivor whose husband, Sonny, was killed in the shooting. Melton revealed that they attended the festival to see Church perform since he was Sonny’s favorite artist.   

Aside from the shooting, Church also experienced a life-threatening health scare in June 2017 when he underwent emergency surgery for a blood clot in his chest caused by thoracic outlet syndrome from a birth defect. He underwent a second surgery to remove his topmost rib and spent the summer of 2017 in physical therapy. He also lost his younger brother, Brandon, who died due to complications from chronic alcoholism that led to heart and liver damage. These traumatic experiences helped change Church from being “brash” and “arrogant” to humbler.  

As the album’s opening track, it’s a parable about two serpents plotting against humanity. According to Church, it was a metaphor for America's two-party political system, and that the two major political parties are the snakes that are “feeding on the electorate”: “Rattlesnake said to the copperhead / Ain't no way they win / 'Cause the mice are sheep / And the shepherd's asleep.”  

The track set the mood for the album; some listeners found the song to be polarizing.  

“Hangin’ Around” showcased Church’s vocal range and willingness to step out of country music boundaries. The track, with its stuttered guitar riffs and syncopated organ, was produced by long-time collaborator Jay Joyce.   

With “Higher Wire,” Church was able to push his vocal range to its limits. His impressive vocal range, which spans D2 - C5, covering 2.8 octaves, allowed him to perform songs suitable for bass, baritone, and tenor classifications. Similar to “Hangin’ Around,” “Higher Wire” emphasized Church’s unique sound of traditional country elements, such as acoustic guitars and banjos, and rock aspects like electric guitar riffs.  

“Hippie Radio” is a deep cut that is also a nostalgic tribute to the soundtrack of Church’s life. The track evokes memories of childhood and family. The song also referenced several from the 1970s, including Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell," Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," Kansas' "Carry On Wayward Son," and Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle.”

Church said that the song, “Monsters,” was initially inspired by a conversation he had with his 7-year-old son Boone about needing more light in his room during bedtime. He also shared that after the shooting incident in Las Vegas, the meaning of the song changed significantly: “I think 'Monsters' after Vegas became more real to me,” and instead of describing fictional creatures we feared as children, monsters became real-life struggles and challenges we faced as adults.  

Listening to these deep cuts will make you see Church’s skills as a songwriter and singer in a different light. His reputation for doing his own thing and refusing to conform to industry norms made him an artist worth listening to.