I'm Writing a Novel

The song contains some lines about being on a dune buggy with Neil Young, referencing the Canadian's "Revolution Blues." ("I see bloody fountains. And ten million dune buggies coming down the mountains.") Father John Misty sings: I rode to Malibu on a dune buggy with Neil He said "you're gonna have to drive me down on the beach if you ever want to write the real" And I said "I'm sorry, young man what is your name again?" You're going to have to drive me down to the beach. If you ever want to write the real Misty explained to Uncut: "It's a reference to my great reverence for him. And the fact you have to ceremoniously murder in your mind the people you have the most reference for if you want to make your own thing."

Asked if Neil Young has ever heard the song, Misty replied, "One of the first times I've played that song, a friend of mine who promotes shows in California asked me to open for Pegi Young at a 150 person show in San Francisco. I got there, and Neil was playing guitar with her. I was playing the song, I looked over and Neil was there in the wings. I was like, 'Oh, my God, here comes the verse.' The next time I looked over, he wasn't there. So I can only speculate. I've never been asked to play Bridge School, so you tell me."