Nine Bullets Drive By Truckers

1996–1999: Early days
Drive-By Truckers was cofounded by Patterson Hood (son of bassist David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) and longtime friend, former roommate, and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, in 1996. The two had played in various other bands including Adam's House Cat, which was chosen as a top-10 Best Unsigned Band by a Musician contest in the late 1980s. Adam's House Cat recordings, entitled Town Burned Down were released in September 2018 via ATO Records. After the demise of Adam's House Cat, Cooley and Hood performed as a duo under the name Virgil Kane. They eventually started a new band, Horsepussy, with bassist-vocalist Adam Howell (later to join DBT) and Aaron Bryant (brother of DBT webmaster Jenn Bryant) before splitting for a few years. During this split, Hood moved to Athens and began forming what would become Drive-By Truckers, "with the intent of luring Cooley back into the fold".

The band's original lineup was fluid, but it most often included Hood, Cooley, and Howell, along with drummer Matt Lane, pedal steel player John Neff, and mandolin player Barry Sell. They released their first album Gangstabilly in 1998. With Hood and Cooley sometimes playing mandolin and banjo instead of guitar, and Howell playing double bass. After recording their first album, the band added a third guitarist/vocalist, Rob Malone. By the second album, Pizza Deliverance, released in 1999, Howell had left, Malone switched to bass, and Sell had left the band. Neff was also listed as a guest rather than a member, although he plays on much of the album. Hood dominated the songwriting and lead vocals in these early records, but Cooley, Howell, and Malone also contributed songs, with Cooley's songwriting share increasing notably by the second album.

Drive-By Truckers Lyrics
"Nine Bullets"
Written by Patterson Hood
1999 Pizza Deliverance

My roommate's gun got nine bullets in it
Nine bullets in my roommate's gun
My roommate's gun got nine bullets in it
Gonna find a use for every last one

One for the love who chose to betray me, a real fine love who wouldn't be true
One for the man that she betrayed with, a nice enough fella, she'll betray him too
A nice enough fella, she'll betray him too

One for my boss man, riding my butt again, sorry sir, but you'd better clock out
One for the lady down at the laundrymat, who goes threw my dryer pulling one sock out
She goes threw my dryer pulling one sock out

One just to put me out of my misery
I better aim that sucker true
I'll leave a note that says I'm sorry but I went off the deep end when I fell for you
I went off the deep end when I fell for you

One each for my immediate family, they'll be so disappointed to see what I done
One left over, I'll save it for my roommate
After all it's my roommate's gun
After all it's my roommate's gun

My roommate's gun got nine bullets in it
Nine bullets in my roommate's gun
Roommate's gun got nine bullets in it
Gonna find a use for every last one
Gonna find a use for every last one
Gonna find a use for every last one