Smith, and the men and women he sings about, are all survivors of life's battles. But the cycle of endings and beginnings rarely sounds so catchy. Smith's wisdom lies in everyday reality. His songs are personal, but the emotions and the characters who inhabit them are universal. They're like little biographies.
Ordinary people are amazing.
Ordinary acts can be very heroic. If you're paying attention, you can do incredible things with your life. Smith's raw, everyman's voice enhances his music's impact, with a windblown, breathy urgency. It's distinctive and honest, burnished by his Texas twang. But his tunes are more tangy than twangy.