I try to avoid controversy, and politics in particular -- not just in this blog, but in conversation in general. So, you can appreciate the bold move I'm making when today I choose to address a divisive issue. The thing that makes this division so fascinating is that it's difficult to tell on which side a person will fall unless you ask them outright. Geography can be a general indicator, but I've found even that quite inadequate.
What is this issue, you ask? No, it's not whether you're a cat person or a dog person or go both ways. It is: Country music.
See? You're having an opinion right now, aren't you?
I'll come right out of the rhinestone closet and declare that I like Country music -- not every song or every style, but I definitely appreciate the genre as a whole. I can appreciate some reasons for not liking it. Hate the twang? I do, too. Often corny? Yes. But there are bad songs in every genre. I can tell you that there has been plenty of very bad classical music written. The classical stuff most people hear is the stuff that was good enough to withstand centuries of wear. The stuff written by some guy in Podunkscheidt, Germany, hidden in a trunk all these years, waiting to be discovered like the poems of Emily Dickenson? In all likelihood, they should stay in that trunk. It's a good thing not everyone who picked up a viol had some crazy, rich nobleman to subsidize his mediocrity.
All that is to say that you can't dismiss a whole category of music just because some of it is bad. You can dislike it, but you have to have a better reason. There's also a big difference between criticizing something from the inside and criticizing it from the outside. When I hear a bad country song, I'm embarrassed the way I would be if I were next to a family member who started making loud, rude statements in public -- they're obnoxious, but they're still yours. I'm not just an out-of-towner wandering into a bar, shouting at some poor banjo player, "Hey Cleetus, why don't you grow some teeth?" That's just wrong.
I also freely admit to some redneck tendencies. The flamingoes on the lawn of my parents' otherwise stately and elegant home? My idea. That my folks were not only willing to go along with it, but were enthusiastic, is one of the many reasons why they are so flippin' cool. Jeff Foxworthy (of course I'm quoting Jeff Foxworthy) defines redneck-dom as "a glorious lack of sophistication." 'Tis I.
One thing critics often don't realize is that Country music doesn't take itself too seriously. Most of the lyrics that sound ridiculously funny are meant to be so. OK, not all. But most.
For anyone who's interested in having their horizons expanded, I present what is really a pretty mild selection of songs (and performers) you can check out -- evidence that there is quality songwriting out there. Again, you don't have to like them, but I hope you'll agree that there's some good craftsmanship -- clever lyrics, good storytelling, a fine relationship between the words and music.
It All Goes Down in Your Mind -- Johnny Cash
I Never Cared for You -- Willie Nelson (simple, sweet)
Crazy -- Patsy Cline (written by Willie Nelson)
Past the Point of Rescue -- Hal Ketchum (makes me think of cold, windy autumn days)
Cryin' Shame -- The Mavericks (I love the way his voice wails)
Fast as You -- Dwight Yoakam
Nothin' 'Bout You -- Brooks and Dunn
Real Good Man -- Tim McGraw
I Wanna Talk About Me -- Toby Keith
She's Everything -- Brad Paisley (Fellas, don't think women aren't suckers for this kind of thing. I know I am.)
And here are a couple songs written by Country artists, but made famous by other people:
When You Say Nothing at All -- Allison Krause
I Will Always Love You -- Dolly Parton (made famous by Whitney Houston)
And I'd also like to say that any man who can rhyme "midnight mass" with "mounted bass" has my respect (that would be Brad Paisley, "You Need a Man Around Here").
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8 comments:
We didn´t get much country music back in Iowa, and less even here in Chile, but I´ve heard a bit, uncorny, inspiring and heartfelt.
Holly, excuse my ignorance, but what´s a redneck?
It's another word for what some people would call "white trash." It's because their necks get red from being out in the sun. Some stereotypes: living in a trailer park, having tattoos, driving trucks,and all the women dying their hair blonde. It's people who are country, low-class, and darn proud of it. Check out comedian Jeff Foxworthy's series, "You Might Be a Redneck If..."
I always thought social class discrimination was more present here in Chile than in the US. For instance, americans who actually learn chilean slang, find it amazing that there are so many synonyms of the concept of "low class". There must be like 30 words that refer to the same thing, it´s like an obsession. There´s a slang dictionary written by an american called "How to survive in the chilean jungle" that talks about this. I guess it all comes from the spanish colonization period and the social classes that derived from this. But I guess a bit of this happens in America, but on a different key, and for other reasons.
I guess the fact that rednecks are proud of being so, makes it different. don´t you think?
sorry for drifting away from the country music issue
There are still plenty of negative prejudices involved, but yes, I'd say it's different. You could be a millionaire redneck. It's largely a cultural distinction. It's another one of things, though, where it's OK to call yourself and your peers rednecks, but probably not OK for someone on the outside to do it.
I hate country music. With a fierce passion. I would listen to country music about the same time your Dad would vote @#$%!@# (the political party he would NEVER vote for) for President. The pink flamingos in your folks' yard I can handle--hey, I even thought about tying kerchiefs on them--but I draw the line at the country music thing. Real long story, but once I tell you, you'll understand, and might even hate it yourself. Ugh. Now I have to go wash my hands after typing those foul words ("country music", that is, not the politcal party). I'm going to have nightmares tonight....
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