Songwriters: Monty Holmes and Leslie Satcher
If it weren’t coming from someone as accomplished as George Strait, “Troubadour” might seem like the regret of a person looking back on an unaccomplished life. As it is, the narrator seems to be content with what he is and what he’s done in his life. It’s a thought that’s simple enough to be relatable by anyone who feels that they are what they are and there isn’t any changing that.
“Troubadour” provides for a pleasant listen with Strait’s consistently reliable vocal performance, but there isn’t a whole lot of substance to the lyric.
In the chorus, Strait tells us that he sometimes feels “like Jesse James, still trying to make a name, knowing nothings gonna change what I am.” I have to think that the name Jesse James is well known enough, but I’m not sure the lyric will be instantly discernible or if it even makes sense. Is this in reference to Jesse James changing his name to Mr. Howard, but not being able to change his outlaw ways? If so, is the narrator trying to change who he is and no longer content with being just a troubadour? Or is it a reference to a young James before he became famous? Either way, the comparison seems forced and serves as a crutch to keep from fully developing the feeling the narrator is trying to get across.
Furthermore, the verse about the mirror is an attempt to add depth to the character that the rest of the song tries to simplify.
Well the truth about a mirror
Is that a damned old mirror
Don’t really tell the whole truth
It don’t show what’s deep inside
Or read between the lines
And it’s really no reflection of my youth
The song focuses on the troubadour being who he is, but this verse randomly changes the subject to a mirror and in the last line, the narrator tells us that the mirror—himself presently—is no reflection of the person he was when he was younger. This conflicts with the picture we’re given in the previous verse where the narrator tells us that he still feels the same as when he was young, does the same things, and his own assertion that all he’s ever been is a troubadour. The whole verse feels out of place, making the song seem like a patchwork of various ideas cobbled together that don’t fully explore any particular thought.
What we end up with is a single, simple idea about being what you are stretched out with a bunch of extra verbiage to create a song. It’s easy to listen to and even enjoy, but the flaws in the lyric and the lack of substance prevent me from giving it a thumbs up.
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