The 10 Best Trick Pony Songs of All-Time
Trick Pony was a country music group consisting of one woman and two men. Heidi Newfield was the lead vocalist. Meanwhile, Keith Burns was the lead guitarist, and Ira Dean was the bass guitarist. The group released two studio albums during its first run from 1998 to 2006. Subsequently, Newfield left in pursuit of a solo career, thus resulting in the group continuing with a new lead vocalist before breaking up in 2008.
The group reformed in 2013 and released an EP in 2016 before breaking up again in the same year. Trick Pony is no longer around. Fortunately, their music is still available to interested individuals.
Here is our opinion of the ten best Trick Pony songs ever released:
10. “Everybody Wanna Be Us”
“Everybody Wanna Be Us” comes from the EP. By then, Trick Pony was down to Newfield and Burns because Dean left a short while after the group reformed. Even so, the EP has its merits, meaning interested individuals shouldn’t pass up on it.
9. “Ain’t Wastin’ Good Whiskey On You”
People often drown their sorrows in alcohol after a bad breakup. It is so common that it can be considered a country music cliche. However, it works because it is such a relatable impulse. The funny thing about this song is that the narrator doesn’t go for the old standby. Instead, she is determined to get through her heartache while remaining sober, thus making the whole thing seem more authentic because people react differently to the same situations.
8. “On a Mission”
“On a Mission” is the title track of Trick Pony’s second studio album. It did well when it came out, seeing as it made it to the number 19 position on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Lyrics-wise, this song also expresses sentiments that can resonate with a wide range of listeners. Most of us have to work for a living. Some have occupations they enjoy without being overburdened in the process. The rest of us have to make do with less pleasant circumstances. Thanks to this, it is easy to nod along with the narrator’s desire to have fun after finishing a forty-hour workweek.
7. “Big River”
Johnny Cash released the original version of this song in 1958. Since then, numerous artists have released covers. Trick Pony included theirs on their debut studio album in 2001. Moreover, it stood out because it included Cash and Waylon Jennings as featured artists. The lyrics describe a man so infatuated by a woman’s Southern accent that he chases after her down the Mississippi River without success. Combined with the music, they make one of the most memorable country songs ever penned. Unfortunately, Trick Pony did well but not well enough to match every other version in existence, which is why this song holds this position on this list.
6. “A Boy Like You”
“A Boy Like You” is a great example of a song in which the narrator starts falling for someone even though they know they shouldn’t. In its case, the narrator presents herself as a “good girl” who wants a genuine connection, whereas the other person is a “bad boy” who presumably does not. Despite this, she warms up to him because she enjoys how he makes her feel.
5. “It’s a Heartache”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, “It’s a Heartache” is an expression of raw misery. Even so, it was good enough to make it to the number 22 position on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, which should make it clear that the song has something real going for it.
4. “The Bride”
Speaking of which, “The Bride” came out on the same studio album as “It’s a Heartache.” Not everything is made clear by the song’s lyrics. Still, the critical points hit home with hammering force. Given the name, one might expect that the narrator is the titular character. That isn’t the case. Instead, she is someone close enough to the bride and groom to have been invited to the wedding, though she seems to have hostile feelings toward them.
Specifically, the narrator sees the bride as a tool by which she can finally remove the groom from her life, which presumably means that they are exes with a less-than-stellar post-breakup relationship. The strangest thing is that the wedding starts well enough before breaking down when the bride learns something unpleasant. Even so, everything goes through, meaning interested individuals are left to wonder exactly what happened.
3. “Just What I Do”
“Just What I Do” is an amusing song in which Trick Pony explains the actions of three famous figures as being driven by their lack of relationships. Historical accuracy aside, plenty of people liked it because it was nominated for a Grammy and two Country Music Awards. The song didn’t win, but the nominations themselves say much about the regard in which it was held.
2. “On a Night Like This”
Even now, “On a Night Like This” remains Trick Pony’s highest-charting song. It never reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. However, it did peak at the number 12 position, meaning it beat its closest competitor by eight spots. Subject-wise, it is relatable. The narrator wants to get closer to her significant other, even though she has been warned away from boys by not one but both of her parents.
1. “Pour Me”
“Pour Me” was Trick Pony’s debut single. It stopped at the number 12 position, thus missing out on becoming a Top Ten hit by a thin margin. Still, it is no exaggeration to say that this song gave Trick Pony a great deal of momentum for the rest of the group’s career. Funny enough, “Pour Me” is the reverse of “Ain’t Wastin’ Good Whiskey On You.” The narrator is determined to get drunk while ignoring everything else because she is brokenhearted. In a way, it feels like this is the perspective of a younger individual versus that of her older counterpart in the later song.
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