Dead Man's Curve

Album: Skeletons (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Not the '60s song by Jan and Dean, this fast and furious tune finds John and TJ Osborne warning country boys to steer clear of a temptress. They compare the string of broken hearts arising from the girl's dangerous allure to a curve in a road that has caused many crashes.
  • John and TJ Osborne co-wrote the song with Lee Thomas Miller. The brothers previously teamed up with the Nashville songwriter for their singles "It Ain't My Fault" and "Shoot Me Straight."
  • Brothers Osborne recorded "Dead Man's Curve" for Skeletons, an album they made so they had more songs to play live. After writing 30 or 40 tracks, they started cherry-picking the ones that would go down best at their shows. This hard-stomping track was an obvious choice.
  • John and TJ Osborne's longtime collaborator Jay Joyce produced this song along with the rest of the Skeletons tracks.
  • The musicians are:

    Lead vocals: TJ Osborne
    Background vocals: John Osborne
    Electric Guitar: John Osborne & Jason Graumlich
    Acoustic guitar: TJ Osborne
    Bass guitar: Pete Sternberg
    Clapping: John Peets, Pete Sternberg, Jason Graumlich, Billy Justineau, Adam Box and Jason Hall
    Drums: Adam Box
    Piano: Billy Justineau
  • Brothers Osborne gave a high-energy performance of the song to close out Grammy awards in 2022. Earlier in the day, the sibling duo took to the stage to pick up an award when "Younger Me" won Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.