When I first started writing these songs, I planned to perform under the name of the 4-way stop community described in "Between Athens & Atlanta." I took a picture of the road sign that described it as "unincorporated" and thought it would make a good album cover.
Those plans changed for several reasons, but I still had this idea for a song. Once I had the hook, "you fill my rear-view mirror, but you're not closer than you seem," the retrospective scene was set. I had moved on.
The Alabama community where I grew up had its own stories to tell, and some found their place in these verses. A friend that still lives there told me that this song felt familiar; a fitting compliment. There is still a lot that draws me back, but many things that I unconsciously counted on are gone. I've been to the "garden of stone" a few too many times over the years. The folks that recognize me there are getting fewer. They have moved on, as well.
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