A Lost Country Treasure Finally Found in the Dust of Time
A bittersweet meditation on the inevitable cycles of joy and hardship that define a life well-traveled.
There are songs that hit the charts with the force of a gale wind, and then there are songs that drift into our lives like smoke from a distant campfire quiet, lingering, and unmistakably real. Rainbows and Ridges by the late, great Blaze Foley belongs firmly in the latter category. For those of us who remember when country music felt like it was written on a front porch rather than in a boardroom, this track is a haunting reminder of a talent that left us far too soon.
To understand this song, we must first look at the man who wrote it. Blaze Foley was not a household name during his lifetime; in fact, he was the definition of an unsung hero. A close friend of Townes Van Zandt and a vagabond poet, Foley lived a life that was as chaotic as it was creative. Consequently, Rainbows and Ridges never saw a chart position upon its original recording. It wasn’t spinning on jukeboxes in 1984 alongside Merle Haggard or George Strait. Instead, it sat on master tapes that were confiscated, lost, and gathering dust for decades, only to be properly unearthed and released years after Foley’s tragic murder in 1989. It is a hidden gem from the Lost Muscle Shoals Recordings, a session that could have and should have made him a star.
Musically and lyrically, Rainbows and Ridges is a gentle yet profound piece of philosophy. While much of Foley’s catalog is known for its raw, duct-taped aesthetic, this track reveals a surprising polish. It captures a softer side of the outlaw country movement, trading grit for a smooth, rolling melody that feels like a long drive down a Texas highway at sunset. The lyrics serve as a mature acceptance of life’s duality. Foley sings of “rainbows” and “ridges” the peaks of beauty and the rough terrain we all must cross. It is a song about balance. He reminds us that “lovers and music all have their times,” a sentiment that resonates deeply with anyone who has watched the seasons of their own life change, seeing friends and fads come and go.
Listening to it today, one cannot help but feel a pang of nostalgia not just for the era of authentic songwriting, but for the man Blaze Foley might have become. The song’s smooth production, featuring top-tier session musicians from Muscle Shoals, hints at a crossover potential that fate cruelly denied him. It is analytical in its observation of the human condition but delivered with a vocal warmth that feels like an old friend offering comfort after a hard week. For the discerning listener, Rainbows and Ridges is not just a song; it is a recovered memory, a testament to the enduring power of a true storyteller who, despite the ridges, always kept his eyes on the rainbow.