_{By Zach Collier}

Dustin Christensen has the kind of track record that makes “novelty country song mastermind” feel like an unlikely plot twist. Raised in Utah, he’s a Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and artist whose songs have been recorded by Kenny Chesney, Dustin Lynch, Brothers Osborne, Tenille Townes, Frankie Ballard, and others. He’s also been part of the bluegrass-gospel collective The Lower Lights, and earned a four-chair turn on Season 9 of NBC’s The Voice. Miranda Lambert called him “a badass.” Pharrell Williams called him “a natural.”

And then there’s Dean Summerwind. Under that alter ego, Christensen released “Parked out by the Lake,” a country parody that takes one extremely simple idea – being parked out by the lake – and absolutely refuses to move on. The song’s earnest delivery and increasingly ridiculous commitment to its premise turned it into a viral favorite in 2018. Since that time, Dean has not stopped. To date, he’s released 6 more singles – a club banger, a Christmas song, a piano ballad, a live performance, a sad song, and an instrumental.

All of which, of course, are just “Parked out by the Lake” in different styles. The commitment to the bit is unreal.

Of course, a lot has happened since 2018. A global pandemic, TikTok, the rise of AI, and twelve dozen openings and closings of the Strait of Hormuz. One would think “Parked out by the Lake” would eventually fade into obscurity.

Not so. The world’s only all-vocal country band, Home Free, has now released an a cappella version of “Parked out by the Lake.” With nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers, the group has a devoted and far-reaching following. Their version is also a collaboration with sea shanty wonders The Wellermen – who have a significant following of their own. The music video is absolutely delightful, and is everything you could ever hope for.

(It features stationary trucks and landlocked bodies of water.)

Here’s to hoping Dean Summerwind & Co. stay parked out by the lake 80 miles from Santa Fe forever and ever.

You can follow Dustin Christensen on Instagram here and watch the music video below.