The first time I heard “Rattlesnake” by Zach Bryan was roughly a week ago. I had been reflecting on how strange it feels to stand on the edge of my future while still holding a firm grip and recollection of the past. That’s why Zach Bryan’s lyricality struck me, almost as if it’s a soundtrack to this very moment in my life.

“Gasping for the mountain air,

Crawling up the campus stairs,

My throne is an electric chair, 

I’m stunned with indecision.” 

     This initial verse touches on themes of nostalgia, freedom found in nature in a past stage of living versus the constraints of city living, in a reflective almost guilt-ridden awareness of privilege. The way I see it as a high school senior looking to my future I get “stunned with indecision” and hung up on the memory and freedom I have found in this town that I grew up in. I’ve never left Latrobe, never lived in any other environment, my world has always been consistent but the future and the path to the accomplishments I want to achieve entails “Tearing through an open road,” another quote from the song itself. 

     For those who don’t know me, my dream is simple in words but daunting in reality. I want to change the world.  I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the only vision of the future I’ve ever truly connected with. This is where I derived the connection to my life now, my life in the future and this song.  I dream of studying politics and creating real change through policy and publicity, in the heart of the country, the Washington DC diamond.  In this song Zach Bryan has been granted a massive chance to do something big and instead of seizing it, he’s frozen , stunned at the face of uncertainty. This resonates with me not in facilitating a connection to a person or a time but the emotions that come with the future and possibilities of change. Found later in the song and repeated thought are these thoughts 

“Oh, love is like a rattlesnake,

Before it bites, it tries to warn ya.”

     I have gone back and forth with how I interpret this line. I think this phrase can be interpreted differently depending on my headspace at the time. Looking to my future, and influenced by hope I landed on a focus with the concept of the mentioned warning. A rattlesnake does not want to hurt you. It has a rattle to warn you of its presence.     In the same way a rattlesnake warns with its rattle, my love for my hometown carries both comfort and caution. These memories carry a reminder that while Latrobe has grounded me, it could also hold me back if I never move beyond it.     Using a flat out metaphor between a rattlesnake and love, Bryan captures the bittersweet bond I’ve formed with my hometown. But unlike a love song that longs to stay, this one acknowledges the necessity of leaving in order to grow. This concept is strengthened in other lyrics by Bryan throughout the song such as, 

“Oh, my skull is just a big white house,

To some punk-ass kids from outta town,

They stay up late and talk real loud,

And sometimes I feel like kicking them out.” 

     At this point in the narrative of the song Bryan is using a metaphor for kids inside his skull as the nostalgia and memories figuratively pushing for him to leave. The key word within the lyrics however is  “sometimes”.  He“sometimes feels like kicking them out,”this implies that he doesn’t. I hear this as recognizing all of these thoughts about being unsatisfied and wanting to change are necessary, despite how uncomfortable they feel. Enhancing the idea that this is not a love song but a push to take a leap, make a change and do things that might hurt. 

Reflecting on  “Rattlesnake”  the past few days has reminded me that standing on the edge of the future doesn’t directly mean  I have to outright abandon the past. The memories, and the love I feel for Latrobe and the life I know are not obstacles. They are guides to maneuver through the future with. Bryan listens to the rattlesnake’s warning without letting it stop him, in the same sense I can carry the memories and lessons of my hometown with me while stepping into the new experiences, the new challenges, and the new opportunities the coming future presents. The song has shown me that uncertainty is not a signal to retreat but a signal to prepare, to take the leap, and to trust that the lessons and love of where I’ve been will help me navigate where I am going. This balance between holding on and letting go is what makes growth possible