Americana Highways is pleased to premiere a track from Benjamin Jason Douglas’s forthcoming release First World Blues (Flour Sack Cape Records), due on August 10th.
Contributors to the album include Ryan Disen on electric guitar, and rhythm duo Joe Lekkas and Erin Nelson, backing Douglas. “Raggedy Andy Williams,” features Douglas’ low gravelly voice, with its hurtin’ emotional cracking points, as he sings: “honestly Alice, how did you expect this Raggedy Andy Williams love story to end?” and touches our hearts with the tangibly earthy, predictable regret we can all relate to. The song references Andy William’s smash hit-making album Love Story (Columbia Records 1971)—a classic reference to underscore its classic tale of breakup woes.
About this song, Douglas says:
“Raggedy Andy” is a broke musician’s account of a failed marriage. The protagonist is on his way out as he calmly lays out the division of goods and blame. The song speaks to the predictability of relationships not working, and the pain of not being surprised when they don’t.
Give it a listen right here:
