I’ve been listening to the album Weathervanes today by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, a brilliant treatment of “man pain,” which of course is one of my favorite topics to consume media about.

I think Jason Isbell might be one of the most brilliant lyricists ever. I’m in awe of the track “Save the World,” which inverts the typical parental dynamic by having the speaker beg his child (in my hearing) for reassurance that she will “save the world when I lose my grip.”

Can we talk about the part where he makes poetry out of (checks notes) the RealID Act of 2005?

I left my wallet in the hotel room
They barely let me on the plane
I didn’t get a chance to check the news
Somebody shot up a classroom again

And when you said the cops just let ’em die
I heard the shaking in your voice
And for a moment you began to cry
Then I heard you make a choice