Released: 2024
“Midwest Rock & Roll” by Ryan Hurd is a poignant ode to youthful love, the bittersweet bite of nostalgia, and the defining cultural ethos of the Midwest. It paints a vivid picture of the peculiar charm of growing up in a place defined both by its biting cold and the warmth of its people’s spirit, all through the lens of a rock and roll lifestyle mingling with tender, personal memories.
The song kicks off with a nod to the enduring summer sunsets of the Midwest, a symbol of fleeting beauty and the passage of time. “July sun stays up till ten / We watched it set every night” sets the stage, hinting at a past relationship that, like summer, was intense and unforgettable but ultimately transient. This opening serves as a metaphor for youth itself—brilliant and lasting in memory but short-lived in reality. The mention of making out in cars and writing names in the snow encapsulates teenage romance, a universal experience made unique by the Midwest’s frigid backdrop.
Hurd touches on a shared experience many have of attending concerts to feel alive and connected, using “wanted to see the black keys / Closest they came was Chicago” as a rallying cry for those who know the struggle of living far from the hubs of musical activity, yet still making the pilgrimage for those moments of live rock and roll ecstasy. This verse speaks to the lengths we go to chase what moves us, even as life inevitably leads us down different paths—”Things change and things stay the same,” as Hurd reflects on the evolution of personal relationships and dreams.
The chorus of the song is a powerful affirmation of identity and emotion, tying the themes of love, longing, and the pain of growth to the Midwestern experience. Here, “You set your own heart on fire / When you grow up where it’s cold” isn’t just about literal cold but speaks to hardship and the fires we start—whether in relationships or in pursuit of our passions—to keep the darkness at bay. It’s a homage to the intensity of youthful desires and ambitions, branded as distinctly “Midwest rock and roll.”
Perhaps the most evocative imagery comes towards the end, “We were young and we were living / We were rodman we were pippen.” This line is a direct throwback to the glory days of the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s, with Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen symbolizing a golden era not just in sports but in the lives of those who gleaned hope and inspiration from their victories. It’s a metaphor for the invincibility of youth, a time when anything felt possible and life was an open highway, much like a summer on Lake Michigan—vast, exuberant, and freeing.
In essence, “Midwest Rock & Roll” is more than a song; it’s a love letter to a time and place, a cultural snapshot wrapped in the memories of love lost and the effervescent hope of youth. Ryan Hurd masterfully weaves the fervor of rock and roll with the nuanced experiences of Midwestern life, crafting an anthem for anyone who’s ever longed for the past while standing firm in the present.
