Bob Boze Bell's Big Bad Book of Bad Diary Entries: Noah Kahan's "Dial Drunk" & Navajo Hitcher Part II

Friday, December 08, 2023

Noah Kahan's "Dial Drunk" & Navajo Hitcher Part II

December 8, 2023

Couldn't leave well enough alone:

Daily Whip Out: "Navajo Hitcher 2"

This is for a Marshall Trimble story that will appear in "The 66 Kids" about his father picking up a Navajo hitchhiker near Shiprock and I was tempted to go with the stereotypical Navajo in the traditional clothing with a tall-flat-brimmed hat and unblocked crown, but when I was looking through my Navajo reference I came across this groovy Navajo dude in the 1940s, wearing shades! Yes! That is exactly what a hitcher on the res would have looked like back in the day. Totally dig this guy. Almost a Leupp John Lennon!

Now to put him in context:

Daily Whip Out: "Shiprock In Twilight"

Daily Whip Out:

"Shiprock Hitcher Comes Into View"

Yes, I like to storyboard these stories. And yes, I picture the hitcher facing away from the car and barely holding out his thumb. I swear it's a Navajo thing.

Long Time Gone

It's been a long time since I have liked any of the musical guests on SNL, but last weekend Noah Kahan made me and Kathy sit up and pay attention. First of all, he is so dang funny. And he scores with a banjo! Check out the chorus to the first song he sang, "Dial Drunk":

"I ain’t proud of all the punches that I’ve thrown

In the name of someone I no longer know

For the shame of being young, drunk, and alone Traffic lights and a transmitter radio

I don’t like that when they threw me in the car

I gave your name as my emergency phone call Honey, it rang and rang, even the cops thought you were wrong for hangin’ up

I dial drunk, I’ll die a drunk, I’ll die for you.”

I realize he's been a big deal for the past year, but I am just catching up and I listened to it again today and it made me tear up it is so damn cool and touching. Give it a listen.

Dial Drunk!

Speaking of being drunk. . .