Where the Devil Don't Stay: Traveling the South with the Drive-By Truckers

American Music Series

by Stephen Deusner

In 1996, Patterson Hood recruited friends and fellow musicians in Athens, Georgia, to form his dream band: a group with no set lineup that specialized in rowdy rock and roll. The Drive-By Truckers, as they named themselves, grew into one of the best and most consequential rock bands of the twenty-first century, a great live act whose songs deliver the truth and nuance rarely bestowed on Southerners, so often reduced to stereotypes.

Where the Devil Don't Stay tells the band's unlikely story not chronologically but geographically. Seeing the Truckers' albums as roadmaps through a landscape that is half-real, half-imagined, their fellow Southerner Stephen Deusner travels to the places the band's members have lived in and written about. Tracking the band from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to Richmond, Virginia, to the author's hometown in McNairy County, Tennessee, Deusner explores the Truckers' complex relationship to the South and the issues of class, race, history, and religion that run through their music. Drawing on new interviews with past and present band members, including Jason Isbell, Where the Devil Don't Stay is more than the story of a great American band; it's a reflection on the power of music and how it can frame and shape a larger culture.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Collections, Audiobook, Sociology

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2021

Reviews

[Mary McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unconventional and groundbreaking, this rock and roll biography steers away from a straightforward chronological narrative in favor of a geographical road trip with the band. For a band that's as steeped in place-and in the complicated, layered meanings of that place-as the Drive-By Truckers, this approach delivers a way of thinking about the band and their music that's ultimately far more meaningful than a catalog of who said what and fucked up when.

It's a book that spends time with artist and longtime Truckers collaborator Wes Freed on Confederate monuments and what to do with them; with Mike Cooley on Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Confederate flag; with Patterson Hood and the vigilante justice of Buford Pusser and the other side of the story. It's a book that acknowledges that the story of the South is never just one story, and the reckoning that's due when white songwriters contend with stories of racial violence and a legacy of human suffering.

The book also gives Shonna Tucker credit for her crucial role one of the band's several resurrections, and as a songwriter who brought something distinctive, regionally specific, and defining to the Trucker sound during her tenure.

Deusner's writing is sometimes serious, sometimes personal, but always thoughtful and marked by the tools, tricks, and instinctive know-how of a southern storyteller. He's helped by his extensive interviews with the band members, past and present, all of them giving quotes so quotable I frequently stopped reading to send some pithy, thought-provoking, or hilarious line to friends. One particularly great example comes from Cooley: "I feel the same way about Skynyrd these days as I do about Jesus. I admire most of the work, but the fans suck."

I did not intend to go on at such length in a goofy Goodreads review of all places, but I couldn't help myself. There's never been a band quite like the Drive-By Truckers, and in no small feat, this book perfectly captures what makes them so fun, wild, provocative, and important.

[Jay Gabler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know a lot about the Drive-By Truckers when I cracked this book, but it seems like the right approach for a band whose career has spanned the South - and has negotiated complex contradictions as the band members aim for a newly (relatively) self-aware form of Southern rock. I reviewed Where the Devil Don't Stay for The Current.

[Sean Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't typically read biographies or music writing. When it comes to bios no one is interesting enough to hold my attention for the length of a book. When it comes to music writing, it's like food writing, adjectives run out really quickly and it's just not possible to describe something like that. It just has to be experienced. I made an exception for the Drive By Truckers because they're my favorite active band and they've been active for a really long time. They've been working on what they call "the duality of the Southern thing" since the early 2000s. As the country has gone nuttier culturally and politically the rural/urban south/north divides seem even more important.

If you're a fan then this is a worthwhile read. Knowing the history of the ups and downs help make differences between albums make more since. Also getting some back story on some of the songs added to my appreciation. The song writing process is always interesting to get an inside look at. Decoration Day remains my favorite album, but I hadn't realized that "When the Pin Hits the Shell" a Mike Cooley song and "Do It Yourself" a Patterson Hood song were written independently but both are talking about the suicide of a former bandmate. The songs are just so tonally different but share similar sentiments.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot of new info for folks well-versed in the band, but very well tied-together and comprehensive.

[Rory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the birth and growth of a great American band, the Drive-By Truckers. Best for fans, but you might become one after reading this.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about one of my favorite bands was fascinating. Now that I know the backstories of the songs and more about what was going on with the band, I will be listening to their music with a new ear.

[Sutton Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proud of the glory, stare down the shame
Duality of the southern thing

An excellent and immense work of musical geography centered around a band that has claimed huge swaths of the American South as home at one time or another. It is amazing that these shit-kickin' southern gothic songwriters now have TWO books about them published by academic presses, but it's only fitting given the extent to which they dissect and challenge southern mythology, imagery, and assumptions. Deusner nailed this one as both a writer and a fan

[Mitchell Northam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty compelling read that isn’t just about Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and the Drive-By Truckers. It’s also about identity, politics, class, modern rock n roll and the music business. It’s deeply reported and is an examination of the South, it’s cities and towns.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fine music book about one of my favorite bands, correctly told. The geographical, rather than chronological, was the right choice. It didn't cover everything, and while my familiarity with the Truckers just covers 2001-2014, I found it illuminating and insightful

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book exploring and examining the band.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know any type of popular art criticism is subjective and tastes vary---yeah. But there's one opinion I have that I'll never be swayed on and it boggles my mind to hear any argument to the contrary. That opinion is that the absolute best rock and roll band of the 21st century (thus far) is (by far) the Drive-By Truckers. Is there a better extant rock band? With a better track record? With a better discography? That have played as many consistently excellent rock shows? Is there a better live band touring in the world today? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding "no". I mean, the Hold Steady are solid AF as well and a case can be made for them as a somewhat close second (but I'd argue the depth and length of their discography pales in comparison to DBT's) but that's about it (they are certainly majestic live as well). I had someone debate me on this point one time by proposing Clutch was a contender (I won't bother detailing my opposition to that claim). I can think of a ton of metal bands that are about as consistent live as DBT but few in the 21st century that have a run of albums as solid. From "Southern Rock Opera" to "American Band", there's not a dud to be found. And every live show is it's own, unique experience. So yeah, DBT.
What about the book, you might ask? This is a book I've wanted to read for years. It's just, no one had written it. Hell, I wanted to WRITE this book but Deusner beat me to it. It's head and shoulders above the typical rock band biography because it's not just a recap of each album the band released. It contextualizes the band (and primary band leads Patterson and Cooley) in their geography and deals with the whole "southern thing". It's a road trip from the Shoals to Memphis to Athens and beyond. It identifies why their biggest fans are ex-southerners. Deusner captures the magic of the live show in vivid description on the page. Readers learn a bit more about Hood, Cooley, Isbell, and others through honest and accurate depictions of past band drama that doesn't revel in it in a voyeuristic manner.
This book flies by and i wanted 200 pages more. The only thing "missing" I guess is just a bit more on 2016+ DBT on that "American Band" tour in the midst of the Trump era, the (paltry, but there) staged walkouts from their shows as they rolled out the BLM banners, etc. But it is touched on.
So yeah--recommended reading for all DBT fans, all rock and roll fans, and all fans of live music (3 circles that should completely overlap into a solitary Venn diagram if you ask me).

[Aria Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge Truckers fan — this album expanded my knowledge and background on the band. I went to a DBT show while reading this book and was basically giving a book report in line before the show. A great book written by someone with a great love for the band. 10/10 no notes!

[Brett Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I wanted it to be. Total deep dive into their entire catalogue, their origin and pretty much why they made each creative choice. Isbell, Hood and Cooley all provided cool insights, and the over-arching theme of “duality of the southern thing” was really enjoyable. Rarely is anyone one thing - and you can embrace where your from while also confronting its shortcomings, while also wanting to create change. What a book.

[Dan Pepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most important thing about Deusner as a DBT chronicler is that he seems to understand the genius of the Go Go Boots album in general and Shonna Tucker's contributions to it in specific. A lot of fans of the greatest living rock and roll band seem to be missing out on that.

In general as a pretty nerdy obsessed DBT fan I didn't learn that many new facts but I certainly learned some new context. Especially about their Memphis year and the Adam's House Cat saga. (And the meaning of the name Adam's House Cat.) It was great to read some interpretations of some of the songs that didn't always match mine and the author does a nice job of not forgetting the music and writing about what the band sounds like as much as one can, rather than just focusing on lyrics.

The book's conceit of organizing itself by location rather than chronology works fine though as someone who grew up in the southern Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, I don't personally have the place-based connection to the band that Deusner and southern DBT fandom have got.

It's a shame it was released before the author got a chance to hear Welcome to Club XIII which showed off another facet of the band that I wouldn't have been sure was there anymore.

[Bobby Imbody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and deep exploration of one of my favorite bands. Lots of lore and explanations of why things are the way things are.
Would recommend for any southerner looking to understand the best southern rock band of our generation.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It could have been better. First 2/3 of the book was really good. Once the author got past Southern Rock Opera, the last 1/3 of the book seemed very rushed and disjointed.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The drive-by truckers (DBT) are among my favorite bands of all time. I'd argue they rank among the best acts of the aughts with their consistently high-quality output in that decade. 

It's not just the music. It's frontmen Patterson and Cooley's storytelling craft, personalities, world views, and their success against all odds-story, that makes them such a great alt.country outfit. 

The perfect ingredients for a captivating biography, esp. since Deusner came up with an original concept for it. Instead of a linear structure, he tells the story of DBT through the places in the Southern states that play an important part in the bandmembers lives and songs.

So next to the DBT story you learn a lot about the South's musical, cultural, political and religious history - and how it informed some of DBT's best songs. It's like a road trip with your favorite band playing the soundtrack. Awesome!

It sure is a great book. All-encompassing, very well researched and contains interviews with a vast cast of characters. It does miss points I'd like to have seen clarified; detailed examples of tensions between the band members; how their drugs and alcohol dependency started and ended(?); and why the demise of their first incarnation (Adam's House Cat) had such a traumatic impact on them - since it was a very mediocre band.

But the main criticism is that Deusner stains his own hard work by his coming at it with a white knight attitude The main theme of DBT's work and that he further explores in the book is the Duality of the South. The pro's and con's/complexities of the region's history and culture. And of course, racism plays a big part in it, but it's the only matter Deusner has his sight on.

Nothing else matters to him. Every change he gets, Deusner lays on his white guilt and how he struggled being a Southerner himself. It becomes unbearable at the end, when he decries the fact that the song ' Two daughters and beautiful wife' (about the murder of a family in Richmond, VI) is about a white family.

Of course, he's not alone in this, unfortunately. The wokeness is palpable in the publications Deusner writes for (e.g. Pitchfork, Stereogum). I still read those, but enjoy them way less than in the aughts now that taken a political stance is more important that writing about the music itself. I guess Deusner had to follow this trend to earn good reviews and stay on the payroll.

[Andrew Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the "southern duality" told through the story of the Drive-By Truckers, a band that has made its career singing about it. The author, Stephen Deusner, calls the southern duality the practice of "seeing and not seeing." We see that monument, but we really don't see it or think about what it represents. We see these people around us, but we really don't think about who they are, and the stories they carry.

The Truckers are reconciling their place in the modern South. Moving beyond the redneck stereotype, while addressing the poverty, the small towns, the gothic legacy, the stereotypes.

The Truckers have lived in places around the south: Muscle Shoals, Athens, GA, Birmingham. Deusner takes us to these places (and others) telling stories about the band and the influences these places have had on the band.

This book came to me at the right time. I realize "the southern duality" is a good name to describe what I think about this region, my home. I wasn't born here, but I am of here. Lived here for all but six months of my life, but my parents are not of here. I love the place but have never felt 100% at home here. Occasionally, I'm repelled by it. Yet my heroes are those who come from here but have bucked its traditions: Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King, REM, Pat Conroy.

Add The Truckers to that list. Their career is about bucking the southern tradition, leaning into the "southern duality," calling it out, while making great music. Deusner does a wonderful job of documenting that duality.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and thought provoking look at my favorite rock and roll band, The Drive-By Truckers. Instead of a strictly chronological approach, the book approaches things through geography, focusing on places through the South that are important to the band to tell their story. And along with the band’s history, you get a lot of history about our troubled region of the country.

My only caveat about the book is that I think it would be more interesting to someone who has listened to, and appreciates, their music more than to someone who has never heard them before and is unfamiliar with their huge catalog of songs. So here’s my suggestion if you’re interested in the band and why they’ve had such a devoted following for so long: listen to some of their albums. They’ve had so many good ones over the years that it’s hard to narrow down where to start but if I had to, I think I’d point a total DBT newcomer to either The Dirty South or to Decoration Day. Either of those would be a good place to start. Southern Rock Opera is the album that first brought them significant critical acclaim, so I’d probably go there next. And American Band is my favorite from DBT’s current lineup.

But honestly, just listen to them. They’re an important band saying important things. And they can really rock. And after you’re hooked, read this book to get some good insight on how the music got made. You won’t regret it.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not interested in reading a fawning history of the band I’ve loved for almost two decades now, so what I appreciated the most about this book was that Deusner writes as a journalist, not a fanboi. In “Where the Devil Don’t Stay,” Deusner explores the “Southern Thing” has much as he does recounting the highs and lows DBT experienced, which hits a sweet spot for me. In fact, what drew me to the Truckers in the first place was a lifelong fascination with the South, the literature and Southern Gothic genre, in particular. And Deusner still managed to surprise me with tidbits and stories about the band I’d never heard or read. It was the perfect combination of subject(s) and writer. Now that I’m finally finished with the book (I really took my time with it), I’m even more excited about heading to Athens next month for my third Heathen Homecoming Weekend!!!! See you at the Rock Show, motherf******!!!

[Rob Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza, what a book. Without a doubt this is my favorite book about music that I've read in a long time. It could be because I've loved subject matter - the Drive by Truckers - for a long time. However; I think it's the way that Duesner puts this book together that really drew me in. Instead is the standard temporal hagiography about a band, Duesner writes about place and the linkages between the band and the places - real and imagined - that have influenced their music and their lives. He doesn't dwell on theory, but instead tells the story of the DBTs and the many parts of the South that they embody. This is the book I wish I'd written when writing my dissertation many moons ago.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only the story of how one of the most thought-provoking storytelling bands, but an in depth look at some of their most important songs. Deusner, a Southerner himself by birth, explores the songs written by Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley (also Jason Isbell and Shonna Tucker during their time with the band), particularly focusing on those that deal with "the duality of the Southern thing". A quick and fascinating read that delves into the history and discography of a hard working band that has fought for every inch of their place in rock history. Highly recommended.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to learn more about the Drive-By Truckers after I heard an interview with the author on the ‘Sound Opinions’ podcast.

The first few chapters I enjoyed the writing and I was getting into the Truckers by consistently listening to them on Spotify and bought some vinyl.

I was a bored for some reason by around the middle of the book. A reason that I can’t pinpoint. But might be because some of the insights and stories were repeated, also the later chapters at times didn’t seem connected. They seemed more like disconnected articles about the same band.

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of the Drive-By Truckers. A novel approach as Deusner writes as a reporter using the band's records as points of information with a good overview of the South as he covers place of interest to the band. Really not a lot of new information for fans of the band and it leaves a limited view for the non-fan of the band. If you do not know the songs of DBT then following the narrative is difficult.

[Brett buckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! While it certainly was a biography of the Drive-by Truckers, it also served as a history of the South.
From the misunderstood glory of its adopted sons, Lynyrd Skynyrd to the mythology of Buford T. (Walking Tall) Pusser, from Selma on Bloody Sunday to the endless list of corrupt politicians that have called the South home, Deusner by way of the Truckers, documents them all with brutal honesty and shines a light on the "Duality of the Southern Thang."

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

great depiction of not just the Truckers, but also the alternative music scene that came out of Memphis and Athens and the South writ large. Great passages on REM, Skynyrd, Vulcan statues, Confederate statues, personal and collective memories of places I’m proud to live/travel to. wrestles with the meaning of being a Southerner in the 21c. and reconciling the “duality of the Southern Thing” thru music

[Blaine Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deusner makes connections that are both obvious and obscure, while painting the Truckers in a light that they deserve: intelligent, excellent songwriters with a great sense of rock music. Every fan will have his or her moment of a section not getting fully explored as most areas of the band's life, but there are only so many pages in a book. Still, the writing is fluid, the organization is original, and the overall story is good to know.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read, and it made me appreciate and love the Drive-By Truckers on an even deeper level. And I appreciate the creativity in his attempt to group the book by location not chronology, but I thought it ended up being the only drawback in the book. The book ended up going on some lengthy and barely relevant tangents, while also being needlessly repetitive regarding the band.

[Andrew Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great in depth look at one of the beat touring bands of their era

This book takes a deep dive for truckers fans through their history. Even as a pretty devoted fan, this book brings stories I hadn't heard before and makes a lucid and pointed analysis of what makes DBT important.