| Sin Wagon | |
| Artist: | Dixie Chicks |
| Album: | Fly |
| Released: | August 31, 1999 |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 3:37 |
| Label: | Monument |
| Producer: | |
"Sin Wagon" is a song written by Natalie Maines, Emily Erwin, and Stephony Smith and recorded by The Chicks for their 1999 album Fly. Though never released as a single, it charted as an album cut. It has been featured in five tours: Fly, Top of the World, Accidents & Accusations, Eagles with Dixie Chicks and the DCX MMXVI World Tour.[2]
The song's title was conceived by Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines. It is a reference to a scene in Grease; after Danny tries to make a move on Sandy at the drive-in, and she furiously calls his car a "sin wagon".[3]
"Sin Wagon" was written "really quickly". The song's message is that "even the most good girl just has that wild side and you got to let it out occasionally,"[3] a contrast to country music's "stay-at-home" stereotype.[4]
It was released as a downloadable song in the Rock Band series.[5]
According to Maines, Monument Records was "scared to death" about the song's reference to "mattress dancing", and refrained from discussing the subject publicly.[6]
In 2000, the family of Albert E. Brumley filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Sony over the song's sampling of the gospel hymn "I'll Fly Away".[7] The Dixie Chicks have made no comment on the case.[8]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave "Sin Wagon" a positive review, calling it "rip-roaring" and "wickedly clever".[1]
Although the song was not an official single, it received sufficient airplay to chart as high as number 52 on Hot Country Songs over a 20-week run.[9] It was one of four songs charted by the Dixie Chicks on the chart dated for September 11, 1999, the others being "Cowboy Take Me Away", "Without You", and "Goodbye Earl", all three of which were eventually released as singles in 2000.