6 Cody Jinks Songs You Have to See Performed Live

SAN ANGELO, TX — Cody Jinks is the bearded songwriter from the Fort Worth side of the Metroplex. Appearance-wise, he has become the Texas version of Jamey Johnson in a way. The two have even performed together. At first listen, his songs, with titles like “Loud and Heavy” and “Must Be the Whiskey”, the beard matches the image of a heavy-drinking party animal. But there’s more to his music than that. Much more.

Cody Jinks headlines Saturday night, May 4, of the three-day Concho Valley Spring Jam on May 3-5. In order for you to prepare for the show, here are our suggested 6 Cody Jinks Songs You Have to See Performed Live.

6. I’m Not the Devil

“We’ve all got the choice everyday. You want to be God or do you want to be the Devil?” is how he introduces his title track to his 2016 record titled "I’m Not the Devil." The song begins with a denunciation of everything written in the first paragraph of this article (that is, he’s really not whiskey bent and hell bound).

The song begins, “I’m not the Devil you think that I am.” With a nod to the Christian doctrine of The Fall of Man, he continues, “I have no excuse, I’m just a man.” In ¾ time, Jinks explains to his girl how he “stumbled and made his bed.” The words are searching for forgiveness and redemption.

WATCH:
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5. David

A closer look at many of Jinks’ lyrics, and his stoic delivery with his deep baritone voice that trends close to the lower bass octaves, you’ll hear songs about yourself, sometimes in unexpected ways. In “David” from his 2015 record Adobe Sessions, the lyrics tell a story about “my friend David” of his childhood. Of Jinks’ lack of career choices because of his small town roots, he explains, “Yeah, poor folks, they go to work, or they go to war.” As the storyline of the song continues, we learn that Jinks served 1500 days in the Marine Corps and upon returning home, everything had changed. This is especially true about friend David, who by then had two kids and a rap sheet. Jinks’ relationship with his old high school buddy who lost his way resonates with any guy who grew up in public schools in Texas. Like Jinks describes in this song, we all wonder what could have been with close friends from our childhoods. Sadly, here’s what happened to David:

WATCH:
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4. Loud and Heavy

Writing songs that relate to a large audience is fueling Jinks’ popularity that has taken nearly two decades to ferment. His first debut in the DFW music scene was as the front man for the metal band named Unchecked Aggression in the late 1990s. After one record (The Massacre Begins (2003)), the band broke up and Jinks took time off before re-emerging in the alt-country genre. Paying his way while awaiting discovery saw Jinks working jobs like as a bartender in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

This year, Jinks is selling out venues. It was just announced he sold out his July 13 show in the 9,000-seat Denver Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

The genesis of this song is his then-2-year-old son who highlighted a song hook, “loud thunder, heavy rain” when riding through a Fort Worth thunderstorm while sitting in a car seat in the back of the van that Papa Jinks was driving.

WATCH:
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3. Mamma Song

Every successful man has a mamma having “late night talks with Jesus” to keep their boy in line with the challenge of “raising my father’s son.” The song is a tribute to his mother. For all mothers everywhere, you can’t wish for anything better than this!

WATCH:
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2. Must be the Whiskey

From his latest record, Lifers, this is a hard-charging country song written by Josh Morningstar. But Josh said he wrote it with Jinks in mind. “I was like, ‘Man, that sounds like a Cody Jinks song.’ So I started diving into his catalogue to get familiar with the type of songs he did,” Morningstar explained how he approached writing the song to his local paper in Pennsylvania.

The song is more about the regrets of drinking rather than the glorification of it.

“No I'm not goin' crazy, but lately these thoughts in my head / Are a whirlwind of a world of a million regrets. / All the things I should've done, all the things I should've said. / All the pain that comes with hatin' the mess you've made of yourself.”

WATCH:
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1. Hippies and the Outlaws

Jerry Jeff Walker had his 1970s hit “Redneck Mother” (written by Ray Wylie Hubbard) about the perpetual tension between rednecks and hippies. Jinks takes it to a new level, directing his ire at the Nashville music scene and news media music reviewers, while uniting the hippies and the cowboys in the task. In this song, hippies and cowboys are all in it together. It’s Jinks’ anthem about the way he’s approached his craft and how he hopes his fans do too.

“Raising hell with the hippies and the cowboys. / They don’t care about no trends. / They don’t care about songs that sell.”

WATCH:
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Knowing these six songs will prepare you for Cody Jinks’ big performance in San Angelo May 4 at the San Angelo RiverStage in downtown San Angelo. If you’d like to continue listening to more Cody Jinks, and the other 9 performers at the festival, link your Spotify to the Concho Valley Spring Jam Spotify playlist here.

Advance tickets to the Jam are available at Blair’s Western Wear or online at Stubwire.