“Mister Happy” by Rip Gerber

Some songs arrive not to entertain, but to remind us of the fragility of life, the weight of memory, and the strange beauty that grows from both. “Mister Happy,” the latest single from Nashville-based country-rock artist Rip Gerber, is one of those songs.

Released on April 2, “Mister Happy” isn’t just a tribute but it’s a spiritual dispatch from the edge of a memory. Inspired by a powerful and surreal moment at Burning Man, where Rip and his late friend Erik once helped a fellow “burner” lost in a psychedelic haze during a raging dust storm, the song captures the thin, flickering line between escape and connection. It’s equal parts desert hymn and Nashville soul, carried by the haunting chorus: “Set us free, Mister Happy.”

With each note, “Mister Happy” feels like a slow drive through a forgotten town at sunset dust in the air, a story on the wind. Rip’s vocals are honest and weather worn, and the production handled with care by a team of recent Berklee College of Music grads that is rooted in authenticity. No gloss. No gimmicks. Just heart.

But what makes “Mister Happy” hit even deeper is its purpose beyond the music. All proceeds from the song go to St. Jude’s Research Center for Children, a cause close to Erik’s heart as a devoted father. In that way, the song doesn’t just honor his memory but it continues his mission, turning grief into something quietly powerful.

This is the first single from Rip’s upcoming album Three Chord Town, out June 20. If “Mister Happy” is any indication, this album is going to be more than just a collection of song and it will be a collection of truths.

Mister Happy isn’t about pretending everything’s okay. It’s about the raw, redemptive power of caring for each other in the storm. And in that, it sets us all a little more free.