I was listening to Jamey Johnson’s “Can’t Cash My Checks” inattentively. For those unfamiliar, he is reported to be the new country “outlaw” and he does seem to have a bit of Kris Kristofferson/Jeff Bridges-in-Crazy Heart kind of style. The song ended and a minute or so later I checked the iPod display to see what unfamiliar song had replaced it. It turned out to be the same track with an instrumental coda (right word?) inserted after the lyrics fade out.

[Check @ 4:12 if you don’t want to listen to a full-length current country track, I’ll understand.]

I guess the most well-known version of this is the lovely slide guitar and piano piece at the end of “Layla,” but I’m sure it happens in other places as well. It’s not very scientific, but I always figured the “Layla” piece added a bit of acceptance to the end of an anguished blues, plus, it was just too nice to throw away. Can anyone comment on what the coda adds to “Can’t Cash My Checks” or how it works in other songs with similar construction?