The Bible, a Dashboard, and a Dozen Near-Misses with the Law
“Bible On The Dash”, a remarkable duet between Corb Lund and Hayes Carll, is not your typical country ballad. On the surface, it’s a humorous, storytelling tune about two roving musicians or outlaws on the road, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a clever commentary on faith, perception, and the odd loopholes in life.
The song tells the story of two men who manage to avoid trouble with the law – not because they’re law-abiding, but because they’ve got a Bible on the dashboard of their car. They’re not particularly religious, and they admit it. But time and time again, they find that when the flashing lights come on and an officer peers into the car, the presence of that worn old Bible changes everything.
It’s a brilliant use of dark humor and social satire. Corb Lund, hailing from Alberta, Canada, is known for his modern cowboy style and his knack for blending rural imagery with real-world grit. Hayes Carll, a Texas-born singer-songwriter, brings his own brand of wry, dusty charm. Together, they deliver a conversation between two road-weary souls who’ve seen the underbelly of traveling America – from illegal pets and expired tags to questionable firearms.
The core message is not about religion per se – it’s about perception. The Bible becomes a symbol, a kind of “get-out-of-jail-free card” that makes authority figures assume the best of them. It’s not that they believe in divine intervention – it’s that they understand the power of appearances.
One particularly ironic line goes:
“We ain’t exactly Bible-toting Christians / But we’re feeling pretty lucky with the law like that.”
It’s a clever admission that sometimes luck is manufactured, and that a bit of strategic image-building can work wonders – especially on the American highway.
The music itself is delightfully stripped-down. A country shuffle with a touch of folk grit, the arrangement lets the lyrics shine. You can almost see the dusty road through the windshield, feel the tension as blue lights flicker behind them, and chuckle as another improbable escape unfolds.
“Bible On The Dash” is more than a road song. It’s a satirical snapshot of modern Americana, capturing the tension between image and intent, and the strange dance people do to stay one step ahead. It’s both playful and pointed, and it holds a mirror to society’s quirks – especially our tendency to judge a book (or a person) by its cover.