"I got a friend livin' in the hip-hop world
He goes by E-Diddy but his name is Earl"
-"Holler Back" by The Lost Trailers
At that point, I thought, "nah, couldn't be. Surely the CMA hasn't stooped so low as to include this into the spectrum of country music." So I shrugged it off, dismissed this as a fluke, and changed the station. A few weeks later, the song was in the top ten country songs on Billboard's country charts.
But awful songs have been there before and they've just been oddities. There were many good hits to follow them. Case in point: "Goodbye Earl" by the Dixie Chix. So I didn't worry about it. But then came the onslaught of poor song writing marketed towards high school girls and pseudo-country redneck wannabes.
"Little bit of chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
Pair of jeans that fit just right"
--"Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band
"Insert lyrics to Randy Houser's 'Boots On' here because I refuse to reprint them."
"Bob that head!"
"Bob that head!"
-"Bob that Head" by Rascall flatts
I feel like those three songs describe just about every country song that's come out lately. The Zac Brown Band's song is representative of the "Americana" image that has been done and done again by country. Don't get me wrong, I feel those songs have a place but how about something new? It's like they took every country cliche and rolled into one radio-ready snoozefest.
Randy Houser's song is another exercise in why people hate country music. It's a song about being an ignorant hick and proud of it. And before I get flamed for this let me clarify my position. There is a difference between being in abject poverty and being a hick or a redneck and acting like one just because one thinks its "cool." Trust me, no one forced to live a life of rural poverty is singing about how great it is.
"Bob That Head" is perhaps the worst of them all. It's a nonsensical song about a guy who buys a stereo set for his truck and drives around town bobbing his head. Rascal Flatts could have scored some innuendo points with me for this song, but the double entendre simply isn't there. Instead, what you get is a song written by country music's boy band expressly for country music's lowest common denominator: the high school (or drunken sorority) girl. I feel this song is representative of the majority of the other far more boring drivel that gets put out today.
So why all the bad music recently? Has country music run out of things to write about? Is there just so little interest in country music that any record label is willing to take up any two bit yokel who can sing a chorus line? Or is it that the CMA just decided to target a different fan base?
It's been said that country music has just run out of things to say. I, for one, do not buy this. Country hasn't run out of decent songs to write any more than any other genre of music. All songs come back to one common theme: love. People never get tired of hearing them. Don't believe me? Think about your favorite song, love will manifest itself in some way within the lyrics. Bottom line: as long as people love things/other people no genre, including country, will run out of things to write about.
In the past decade, there's been a resurgence of the hip-hop/rap genres of music and a decline in the popularity of traditional country. Some could say the interest simply isn't there. One trip to Nashville or a county fair proves that country is, in fact, alive and well with the budding artist crowd. So there's no problem with finding new artists who can sing traditional country music.
That leaves one option: the CMA and its record labels intentionally sell bad music to the public. I used to wonder what happened to the greats like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and George Jones. I figured they had just gotten old and retired. Nope! They still record material. So why don't they get airtime?
The bottom line is the country, at one time, appealed to the thirty and older crowd. The songs dealt with divorce (perhaps most famously Tammy Wynette's D-I-V-O-R-C-E), alcoholism, sex, cheating, and financial problems just to name a few of the more popular topics. But then the CMA decided to reinvent itself and to gave country music a younger, more vibrant feel. Was it because they felt country music was alienating a larger demographic? Or was it because they felt there was more money to be made with the younger crowd from live shows? It was probably both, but no one is talking on this.
Whatever the reason, I see it as a detriment to the genre. There was a time when country meant something. A song written for/by a country artist could not be written for any other medium, easily. Imagine hearing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" being sung by Aerosmith, for example or Soulja Boy doing a cover of an old George Strait song. It just doesn't bode well. And not only has country become pop music, watered down for the masses, the song writing has gotten weaker, lyrically. Compare the previous excerpts I mentioned previously to some of the lyrics that came from earlier music such as this one:
"Long legged shadows, Mississippi sunset
She was standing like a candle that hadn't been burned yet
The wind was blowing clouds like ashes
Had my hand in my pocket, reaching for my matches
I can see those cotton sheets a dancin'
On her mama's clothesline in my head
From my lips a lucky strike was danglin'
The day was dying in a sea of red"-- Tommy Shane Steiner's "Then Came the Night"
Notice how much tighter the lyrics are? This song has strong imagery and metaphore as well as a few other literary devices that seem to be completely lacking from any country song in the past year or two. Need another example? How about:
"The desert's quiet"
And Cleveland's cold
So the story ends, we're told
Pancho needs your prayers, it's true
But save a few for Lefty, too
He only did what he had to do
And now he's growing old." -- Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty" (Performed by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard)
This is perhaps the greatest story song ever written with an interesting moral question interwoven in its lyrics. The discussion of this is beyond the scope of this entry, however, so if you really want to find out, give it a listen. But I think I've made my point. Song writing such as this is scarce these days.
Sure, there are a few artists lately who have really impressed me. Hootie and The Blowfish's Darius Ruck is the best example. A man from a rock background doing country better than any of the new guys who started out playing the honky tonk scene is certainly impressive. However, he probably only receives airtime because of his previously established singing record. Both Dierks Bently and Josh turner had great first and second albums in the past couple years but they, too, have started turning out more and more crap (Firecracker and Sideways come to mind). This leads me to another point I'd like to make.
Even the greats of the 90's and late 80's (Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, and Trace Adkins to name a few) shed their signature sounds in about 2005 for the more uptempo music that appeals to country music's lowest common denominator. Meanwhile, the real greats (at least the one's who are alive and still recording new material) are having a hard time getting their songs to even get air time. Even Johnny Cash died with his most recent material, including the stellar "American" series of albums receiving little attention.
So to answer my question, no, country music did not die. It just changed audiences. Those of us who prefer country music as it originated will just have to make to with old recordings or scrimp and search for new songs from our old favorites until the CMA decides it's had enough with the lackluster music that's being produced. But until that day comes, when I'm riding around in my company truck hopping from job to job, I'll be listening to the likes of Van Halen and Bob Seger on rock radio.
As a post scipt, I might not have such a problem with new country music if it was called something else besides country. If that means dividing country up like rock, then so be it. Heck I wouldn't be opposed if we even just called it country pop. But don't lump it together with the greats. That would be like comparing me to David Tubb- for all you who follow NRA Highpower!
I feel like those three songs describe just about every country song that's come out lately. The Zac Brown Band's song is representative of the "Americana" image that has been done and done again by country. Don't get me wrong, I feel those songs have a place but how about something new? It's like they took every country cliche and rolled into one radio-ready snoozefest.
Randy Houser's song is another exercise in why people hate country music. It's a song about being an ignorant hick and proud of it. And before I get flamed for this let me clarify my position. There is a difference between being in abject poverty and being a hick or a redneck and acting like one just because one thinks its "cool." Trust me, no one forced to live a life of rural poverty is singing about how great it is.
"Bob That Head" is perhaps the worst of them all. It's a nonsensical song about a guy who buys a stereo set for his truck and drives around town bobbing his head. Rascal Flatts could have scored some innuendo points with me for this song, but the double entendre simply isn't there. Instead, what you get is a song written by country music's boy band expressly for country music's lowest common denominator: the high school (or drunken sorority) girl. I feel this song is representative of the majority of the other far more boring drivel that gets put out today.
So why all the bad music recently? Has country music run out of things to write about? Is there just so little interest in country music that any record label is willing to take up any two bit yokel who can sing a chorus line? Or is it that the CMA just decided to target a different fan base?
It's been said that country music has just run out of things to say. I, for one, do not buy this. Country hasn't run out of decent songs to write any more than any other genre of music. All songs come back to one common theme: love. People never get tired of hearing them. Don't believe me? Think about your favorite song, love will manifest itself in some way within the lyrics. Bottom line: as long as people love things/other people no genre, including country, will run out of things to write about.
In the past decade, there's been a resurgence of the hip-hop/rap genres of music and a decline in the popularity of traditional country. Some could say the interest simply isn't there. One trip to Nashville or a county fair proves that country is, in fact, alive and well with the budding artist crowd. So there's no problem with finding new artists who can sing traditional country music.
That leaves one option: the CMA and its record labels intentionally sell bad music to the public. I used to wonder what happened to the greats like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and George Jones. I figured they had just gotten old and retired. Nope! They still record material. So why don't they get airtime?
The bottom line is the country, at one time, appealed to the thirty and older crowd. The songs dealt with divorce (perhaps most famously Tammy Wynette's D-I-V-O-R-C-E), alcoholism, sex, cheating, and financial problems just to name a few of the more popular topics. But then the CMA decided to reinvent itself and to gave country music a younger, more vibrant feel. Was it because they felt country music was alienating a larger demographic? Or was it because they felt there was more money to be made with the younger crowd from live shows? It was probably both, but no one is talking on this.
Whatever the reason, I see it as a detriment to the genre. There was a time when country meant something. A song written for/by a country artist could not be written for any other medium, easily. Imagine hearing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" being sung by Aerosmith, for example or Soulja Boy doing a cover of an old George Strait song. It just doesn't bode well. And not only has country become pop music, watered down for the masses, the song writing has gotten weaker, lyrically. Compare the previous excerpts I mentioned previously to some of the lyrics that came from earlier music such as this one:
"Long legged shadows, Mississippi sunset
She was standing like a candle that hadn't been burned yet
The wind was blowing clouds like ashes
Had my hand in my pocket, reaching for my matches
I can see those cotton sheets a dancin'
On her mama's clothesline in my head
From my lips a lucky strike was danglin'
The day was dying in a sea of red"-- Tommy Shane Steiner's "Then Came the Night"
Notice how much tighter the lyrics are? This song has strong imagery and metaphore as well as a few other literary devices that seem to be completely lacking from any country song in the past year or two. Need another example? How about:
"The desert's quiet"
And Cleveland's cold
So the story ends, we're told
Pancho needs your prayers, it's true
But save a few for Lefty, too
He only did what he had to do
And now he's growing old." -- Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty" (Performed by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard)
This is perhaps the greatest story song ever written with an interesting moral question interwoven in its lyrics. The discussion of this is beyond the scope of this entry, however, so if you really want to find out, give it a listen. But I think I've made my point. Song writing such as this is scarce these days.
Sure, there are a few artists lately who have really impressed me. Hootie and The Blowfish's Darius Ruck is the best example. A man from a rock background doing country better than any of the new guys who started out playing the honky tonk scene is certainly impressive. However, he probably only receives airtime because of his previously established singing record. Both Dierks Bently and Josh turner had great first and second albums in the past couple years but they, too, have started turning out more and more crap (Firecracker and Sideways come to mind). This leads me to another point I'd like to make.
Even the greats of the 90's and late 80's (Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, and Trace Adkins to name a few) shed their signature sounds in about 2005 for the more uptempo music that appeals to country music's lowest common denominator. Meanwhile, the real greats (at least the one's who are alive and still recording new material) are having a hard time getting their songs to even get air time. Even Johnny Cash died with his most recent material, including the stellar "American" series of albums receiving little attention.
So to answer my question, no, country music did not die. It just changed audiences. Those of us who prefer country music as it originated will just have to make to with old recordings or scrimp and search for new songs from our old favorites until the CMA decides it's had enough with the lackluster music that's being produced. But until that day comes, when I'm riding around in my company truck hopping from job to job, I'll be listening to the likes of Van Halen and Bob Seger on rock radio.
As a post scipt, I might not have such a problem with new country music if it was called something else besides country. If that means dividing country up like rock, then so be it. Heck I wouldn't be opposed if we even just called it country pop. But don't lump it together with the greats. That would be like comparing me to David Tubb- for all you who follow NRA Highpower!
