An Honest Man’s Podcast Talkin’ Mellencamp

Don and Mike take an in-depth look at the new John Mellencamp lyric book, which was released today (September 29) and can be ordered here: https://store.johnmellencampart.com/products/john-mellencamp-the-song-book-50-years-of-song-and-poetry 

Thanks to the good folks at Rizzoli New York, Don and Mike were given an advance copy of the upcoming Mellencamp lyric book titled "The John Mellencamp Songbook - 50 Years of Song and Poetry." They are thrilled to give fans a sneak preview of this amazing collection of Mellencamp lyrics with an insightful forward written by Stephen King. Join Don and Mike for an in-depth breakdown of what the book entails, its unique format, and how the lyrics are presented. The book will be released on September 29, 2026 and can be purchased at https://store.johnmellencampart.com/collections/books in either a standard edition or as a special edition signed by Mellencamp himself. 

Don and Mike look back on the end of The Dancing Words Tour, preview Farm Aid 2026, and discuss a possible no hits, all deep-cuts theater tour in 2027 that has been discussed inside the Mellencamp organization. 

Don and Mike have both witnessed John Mellencamp's 2026 Dancing Words Tour in person, and it's spectacular. In this episode, they break down the much-speculated setlist song by song and offer their insights into what may be Mellencamp's greatest tour ever.

Don and Mike discuss the three movies John has starred in along with his numerous contributions to movie soundtracks. As a bonus, they share a complete version of the ultra-rare title track Mellencamp wrote and performed for the 2017 American war drama "The Yellow Birds."

Don and Mike discuss and break down John's output during the 1990's - a decade in which Mellencamp himself says his records were "uneven."

Don and Mike take a song-by-song look into Mellencamp's latest release - 2023's "Orpheus Descending," which was named after a Tennessee Williams play and takes a dark look at the state of the nation while featuring some of Mellencamp's finest songwriting. Added bonus: A previously unreleased live version of album's lead track "Hey God."

Don and Mike compare and contrast Mellencamp's 1985 opus "Scarecrow" with Bruce Springsteen's 1984 mega-hit "Born In The USA," as they examine the similarities and differences between these two masterworks and the respective tours that followed. They also explore the amazing friendship that John and Bruce have developed over the past seven years.  

What are the best tours John Mellencamp and his band ever embarked on? Don and Mike provide their top 10 list, complete with setlist highlights and interesting facts you won't find anywhere else. 

Don and Mike go track-by-track through John's 1982 mega-hit album "American Fool," which went to No. 1, contained three huge hit singles, and was that year's best-selling album. Join us as we present several sound bytes of Mellencamp talking about the songs on this album, go in-depth into the songs that didn't make the final version of "American Fool," present the never-before heard original track list for the album, and offer up a rare acoustic version of the key album track "Thundering Hearts."