Chasin’ Dirt Roads - Deanna Wheeler - review

Deanna Wheeler, a veteran of the Air Force, serving her country in Afghanistan back in 2009, continues waving the flag for all things Country with her music career. Her most recent releases include 'Light Up To Live' in 2020 and 'Whiskey Weather' in 2021. Chasin' Dirt Roads was released 11th November 2022, Veterans Day.

'Chasin' Dirt Roads' is about getting lost on the back roads and how this can give the best taste of freedom and leave your normal life behind. Having heard the song and seen the video, they both echo this very sentiment. The song is also depicting life, where we pave our own path and have our lives planned to what we want to do, yet inevitably we all deviate from this main road to back roads. It is on these dirt roads that we can find our greatest friends, the ones who pick us up and help guide us through life.

"Every weekend you found just right there, all the friends and a box of beer, ain't too far away from here."

Whilst depicting a joyous scene with friends, even friends are themselves a 'Dirt Road'. Spending time with friends can be like going off grid, getting lost in the moment, building memories and allowing you to forget yourself and the daily struggles of work and life for a little while.

"Just past the city limits off the main road, take the left then right at the scarecrow, he holds a sign that says 10 more miles, that's where the concrete's left behind."

This lyric could represent the journey we have to go on and the metaphorical distance we travel to find happiness, and ourselves.

"Brag about the glory days, sing along to every song that plays, might slow dance underneath the stars, steal a kiss and maybe go too far. We love chasin' dirt roads, flying past fence posts."

These lyrics depict the abundance of joy it is to be lost down the various dirt roads we encounter in life. Sometimes dirt roads can mean we find a dark place, self doubt, and become disillusioned with the road we've paved ourselves because we've ended up on the dirt road. It is a blessing to have your journey upset and challenged in this way because we could be on our road heading for a disaster. The dirt roads give us time for clarity, away from the hubbub of the city life, away from others.

In a time where globally Mental Health is as prominent as ever, then let this song be the reminder that we all need to take our foot off the gas, head to a dirt road, find your inner sanctuary and gain that clarity and perhaps even making some new friends along the way.

You can find 'Chasin' Dirt Roads' here: https://ingrv.es/chasin-dirt-roads-5qg-a or search it where ever you stream your music and look out for when the video gets released! be sure to post about the song using #chasindirtroads