Nothin Like a Country Song to Make You Feel Like Horse Shit
March 22nd 2007 21:24
Another Texas tradition is country music. Country music was always a staple at my house: Johhny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, etc... There is nothing like a Country song to allow you the experience of blessed melancholia. When I feel crappy I have a mix CD that I put on to aid in this pursuit.
Included are tracks: Here's A Quarter: Travis Tritt
Goddamned Lonely Love: Drive By Truckers
Folsom Prison Blues: Johnny Cash
He Stopped Loving Her Today: George Jones
Fast Cars and Freedon: Rascal Flatts
This Whiskey Ain't Workin' Anymore: Travis Tritt
Your Cheatin' Heart: Hank Williams
and the list goes on
Many Country songs are formulaic in a sense. There is a “plot.” Country artists don't sing songs, they tell stories. They have storylines, characters, action, dialogue, and plot twists.
Great country songs are about pain so it follows that the singer should have some life experience to help them understand that pain. The more painful the better I say....
Country crooners will agree that nothing is more painful than love. Many of these songs describe lost love in all it's forms. No love affair ends well, no marriage is happy; everybody ends up with the wrong person, if they end up with anyone at all. If you write about nothing else, you must write about this, preferably from hard won experience. Better than losing the one you love is losing the one you love to someone you trust like your best friend, relative, preacher, or your horse.
Most country songs cite the venerable Jesus, God, The Lord, The Saviour, even The Man Upstairs but the J Man is always accorded the respect of his position and is never, ever, questioned about his mysterious ways. If he helps you out, Hallelujah; if he doesn't, well then quit your bitchin' and learn something. The reason for this is simple since, by the time the singer gets around to singing his/her song he/she has hit rock bottom and has no one left to turn to. No one else gives a shit and is tired of listening to your puny ass bitchin'. Jesus is the only one still around to listen. You don't mess with that kind of last-ditch solace. No one is questioning the "Jesus experience" in Folsum Prison.
Despite what some people think, Death does not feature in every country song since the point is often that living can be worse. When it does appear, Death can come of a broken heart or by another's hand. Shootin a man yourself or asking your best friend to shoot you. You just can't fake that kind of sincerity.
When all else fails, country songs are know for the "expert narrators". This wise sage is a handy trick as it allows you to say things that the narrator could not know since, if he knew them, he would not be in this mess.
Included are tracks: Here's A Quarter: Travis Tritt
Goddamned Lonely Love: Drive By Truckers
Folsom Prison Blues: Johnny Cash
He Stopped Loving Her Today: George Jones
Fast Cars and Freedon: Rascal Flatts
This Whiskey Ain't Workin' Anymore: Travis Tritt
Your Cheatin' Heart: Hank Williams
Many Country songs are formulaic in a sense. There is a “plot.” Country artists don't sing songs, they tell stories. They have storylines, characters, action, dialogue, and plot twists.
Great country songs are about pain so it follows that the singer should have some life experience to help them understand that pain. The more painful the better I say....
Country crooners will agree that nothing is more painful than love. Many of these songs describe lost love in all it's forms. No love affair ends well, no marriage is happy; everybody ends up with the wrong person, if they end up with anyone at all. If you write about nothing else, you must write about this, preferably from hard won experience. Better than losing the one you love is losing the one you love to someone you trust like your best friend, relative, preacher, or your horse.
Most country songs cite the venerable Jesus, God, The Lord, The Saviour, even The Man Upstairs but the J Man is always accorded the respect of his position and is never, ever, questioned about his mysterious ways. If he helps you out, Hallelujah; if he doesn't, well then quit your bitchin' and learn something. The reason for this is simple since, by the time the singer gets around to singing his/her song he/she has hit rock bottom and has no one left to turn to. No one else gives a shit and is tired of listening to your puny ass bitchin'. Jesus is the only one still around to listen. You don't mess with that kind of last-ditch solace. No one is questioning the "Jesus experience" in Folsum Prison.
Despite what some people think, Death does not feature in every country song since the point is often that living can be worse. When it does appear, Death can come of a broken heart or by another's hand. Shootin a man yourself or asking your best friend to shoot you. You just can't fake that kind of sincerity.
When all else fails, country songs are know for the "expert narrators". This wise sage is a handy trick as it allows you to say things that the narrator could not know since, if he knew them, he would not be in this mess.
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Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Are you also into bluegrass and folk songs? That's where country gets its ballad tradition from, right?
And folk songs tend to make you feel like worse horseshit, and more cynical about people in general (they're a lot of them thieves and murderers) -- and more respectful of the joy and fragility of life.
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
I was raised in the tradition of Bluegrass (especially gospel) and folk songs. My great grandmother's family were the Monroes (as in Bill). Link to Bill Monroe info
As I was growing up, many hours were spent listening to banjos, mandolins, juice harps, washboards, fiddles, etc... Most of the songs sung were about death and dying and finding your way back to "the glory land." Honestly due to it's oral tradition... there aren't so many folks that can sing the older tunes. Ricky Skaggs, Allison Krauss, and Ricky Skaggs do a superb job of keeping the tradition alive.
Folk tunes are another story. my aunt and uncle lived in a commune and were a part of the San Francisco scene in the 1960s. When we traveled to see them, I was hypnotised by the music of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, the Dead... (or maybe more by the hookas..)
You are right about the theme surrounding the fragility of life....
Mis
Thanks for your comment!
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
ain`t that the truth Mis! I love Garth Brooks's music...burning bridges, one by one.....and Cash is a legend!
croon on!
ash
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Mis