Song You Need to Know: Mike and the Moonpies, ‘Danger’
Mike and the Moonpies’ Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold, recorded at Abbey Road Studios, deftly mixed orchestral flourish with outlaw country. That seemingly unconventional mash-up is front and center on the exhilarating “Danger,” shipped to radio last month. Think of the song as the product of the “Waylon Philharmonic” — twangy Telecaster notes blend with the lush strings of the London Symphony Orchestra in a classic road tale that doubles as a piece of fatherly advice from singer Mike Harmeier to his young son.
“It was me trying to tell a story to my kid about what I was doing while he was a one-year-old,” says Harmeier, who recounts some of the pitfalls he’s sidestepped — or suffered — while on tour. There are run-ins with the law, a heartbreak in every city, and the shadow of his own father looming over him. To drive that last idea home, the band and producer Adam Odor recruited Shooter Jennings (himself the scion of a famous dad) to lend background vocals.
The growl of their voices and the deliberate beat of drummer Kyle Ponder lend “Danger” an ominous tone, suggesting there’s trouble right around the corner. Listening to it today, where even a brief public interaction can potentially kill you, it’s even more cautionary.
But Harmeier and his Moonpies want you to know that’ll you’ll survive. “I’ve lost love and I’ve cursed the man above,” he sings with a mournful resignation that quickly turns defiant. “But I’m still here — and so are you.”
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