Preacher Man (song)

"****Preacher Man****"
"Afterglow"

**Preacher Man** is the debut single from the musical duo *The Driver Era*. It serves as the tenth track on The Driver Era's debut album, X. It was released as a single on March 16, 2018.

## Background

In November 2017, Ross Lynch revealed the title of the song in an interview, announcing that it was scheduled to be released in January the following year. An accompanying music video for the song was also filmed around this time. However, the release date for the song was pushed back for unknown reasons.

In January 2018, Ross' and the rest of R5's handles on Twitter and Instagram were mysteriously changed to remove "r5" out of them. Around this time, an online troll also leaked the song on Instagram, claiming that they hacked the band's phones.

In February 2018, fans took notice that posts were mysteriously disappearing from R5's official Instagram, and tweets were mysteriously being deleted from their Twitter. On February 28, R5's official Twitter tweeted an image of the band bowing on stage with the caption "BRB". It was soon removed the following day.

On March 1, R5 posted two videos on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with the name "The Driver Era" and changed the profile photos and names of their accounts to this name. The group also sent out free merchandise to random fans, with a note, revealing the new project. Ross also posted a handwritten note on R5's (now *The Driver Era's*) Instagram story encouraging existing R5 fans to stay with them.

On March 2, a profile picture was added to their social media accounts, revealing the only existing members as Ross and Rocky Lynch. The band also revealed the release date of the new single, Preacher Man, as March 16, by encouraging mans to pre-save the single on the musical streaming service Spotify.

## About

On their debut single “Preacher Man” The Driver Era channel their restless creativity into what’s arguably one of pop music’s most epic themes: the existential crisis. With its raw rock-and-roll energy and gospel-like intensity, the track unfolds in stomping rhythms, heavy piano riffs, and soulful vocals that slip from free-form confession to feral howl.

*Preacher man* is not a spiritual song other in the sense that it questions and tests faith. Ross said that the song has no religious connotation, but if anything there’s more of an atheist quality to it.

"A lot of people think the song is religious, but it’s not at all. We’re
 not religious people by any means. It’s more about a question of what else is out there? What am I doing with my life?" Ross says.

*If* *Preacher man* were a cocktail, "it would be equal parts Elton John and Freddie Mercury with just a dash of Timberlake — and a bit of a burn on the after taste.”

*Preacher Man* contains the kind of ebullience that is so rare in rock music; catharsis and joy spring out of every guitar chord. It's the kind of song that makes you want to jump out of your chair and dance along.

With massive hooks and immaculate production, songs like *Preacher Man* show the tight musicianship that Ross and Rocky have honed over the years.

## Music Video

The Driver Era have completed the music video for their first single, *Preacher Man.* Shot in a seedy motel and partly lit in the lurid glow of a neon crucifix, the video delivers a bit of bleary hedonism and showcases Ross’s acclaimed acting chops.

Ross said for PAPER: Every music video comes about with the song. You just want to fit it really well. With this particular song being a little dark, a little anarchist, it set the mood with being in a weird hotel in the middle of Hollywood with neon lights, and kind of like trashing this place. Somewhere you wouldn't want to be at, almost.

 **Vevo views** | +3,612,126

## Lyrics

Hey, mister preacher man

I've been playin' with her heart like a violin

I've been stumblin' through the door after 6 AM

Fix my soul so I don't lose a love again

Hey, mister preacher man (yeah)

Can you help me get away from this life of sin? (yeah)

I'm ashamed of the dark places I have been (yeah)

Fix my soul so I don't lose a love again

Ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh

I was drivin' through the city

Just lookin' at myself

My conscious tellin' me that I should just

Turn this car around

But man I got these demons

And they tellin' me to go

Further into the night

So the further I go

I'm down on my knees and I'm paranoid

Don't wanna repeat what I did before

I wanna believe that there's somethin' more

I wanna believe

Hey, mister preacher man (yeah)

I've been playin' with her heart like a violin (yeah)

I've been stumblin' through the door after 6 AM (yeah)

Fix my soul so I don't lose a love again (yeah)

Hey, mister preacher man (yeah)

Can you help me get away from this life of sin? (yeah)

I'm ashamed of the dark places I have been (yeah)

Fix my soul so I don't lose a love again

Hey, mister preacher man (yeah)

Can you help me get away from this life of sin? (yeah)

I'm ashamed of the dark places I have been (yeah)

Fix my soul so I don't lose a love again

Ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh (Yeah) (x4)

Through a hundred miles an hour

And the wind is in my hair

But my mouth it just too damn dry

To utter out a prayer (yeah)

And the radio is blastin'

Yeah, it's keepin' me awake

'Cause I just gotta get back to her

Before it's just too late

I'm down on my knees and I'm paranoid

Don't wanna repeat what I did before

I wanna believe that there's somethin' more

I wanna believe

Hey, mister preacher man (yeah)

I've been playin' with her heart like a violin (yeah)

I've been stumblin' through the door after 6 AM (yeah)

Fix my soul so I don't lose a love again (yeah)

Hey, mister preacher man (yeah)

Can you help me get away from this life of sin? (yeah)

I'm ashamed of the dark places I have been (yeah)

Fix my soul so I (I don't I don't) don't lose a love again

Ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh (Yeah) (x4)

Hey!

(Yeah)

Hey!

(Yeah)

## References

1. ↑ https://www.papermag.com/the-driver-era-preacher-man-premiere-2550877633.html