Mellencamp perfected his heartland rock with Scarecrow, a loose concept album about lost innocence and the crumbling of small-town America. His writing has never been more powerful: “Rain on the Scarecrow” and “Small Town” captures the hopes and fears of Middle America, while “Lonely Ol’ Night” and “Rumbleseat” effortlessly
convey the desperate loneliness of being stuck in a dead-end life.