Country music that makes me feel better
My last post was very emotional and it took my blog to places that I never take it- The traffic was overwhelming. I went from my usual 10 or 20 visits a day to 2,700 in an afternoon. This is bittersweet because I wrote it for my own sanity. I awoke at 2am, unable to sleep, and it was a post an hour or so later. I thank those high school kids for lifting me up and giving me the courage to speak my mind.
But I want to get back to the music- I enjoy writing about music.
You have to deal with things – and I am learning you live the best way you can no matter what situation you are in. You have to start up that beat-up pickup truck of life and just keep driving-a smile on your face and a song on the radio don’t hurt either.
This sounds like country music.
This rock guy will go out of genre in order to find solace. If you limit music because of prejudice; you are only hurting yourself. Worse than that-you are closing your mind and that is never a good thing.
Rosanne Cash. Seven Year Ache
I love Rosanne Cash because she is authentic- Authentic to me is a feeling that goes from the heart out into the world with no alteration. Like when you see a coyote on the side of the road just looking back at you with no fear. He is in his time and his place and he could give a damn what you think. And I got to say-he sure looks cool.
Rosanne Cash is an authentic cool heroine in her own right- this women just reeks of suave country sophistication.
Montgomery Gentry.Roll With Me
Maybe this is what would be considered light pop country with more than a splash of holy water gospel, but it makes me feel better. I am not going to search for music that makes me look better-I am going to give you songs that make me feel better!
And this is one.
Hank Williams Jr.Family Tradition
“I have loved some ladies and I have loved Jim Beam and both of them tried to kill me in 1973”
Maybe my favorite line in country music, it never ceases to bring a smile to my face
There is something satisfying about someone admitting that they have lived life with zest the wrong way. Maybe that is because we all make mistakes, so we can all relate. And if someone like Bocephus can trump you and have fun joking about his-then it makes you feel better about any you have made. This has been going on since the middle ages with court jesters.
Rolling Stones.Memory Motel
This is straight ahead country. It has pickup trucks and drinking. It also has a cheap motel by the ocean and a lady with crooked teeth. What more do you need? I will give you one more…throw in Dave Matthews and make it a buddy song.
Concrete Blond.True
This is a country song trapped in a rock song’s body.
Again with the pickup trucks-mixed with some cool west coast punk. Punk music and country music are closer than you think.
I feel better—I really do – this one has brought me home.
Thank you Johnette
Oh, what the hell- One more for the road
Bonnie Raitt – This is a “go to” classic. I am not writing-I am just enjoying at this point.
Cheers from the Cave.
And special thanks to http://peacelovegreatcountrymusic.com/2014/03/09/philosophy/ for helping to spur this post.
Spur* get it?
O.K, that was a cheap shot at the genre…:)
Cave of Fame 
Classic country & folk with some rock sensibilities are typically the caves in which I reside. I was listening to a mournful Jimmy Rogers yodeling out long-lost love and my sister, who lives in a world of cheerful contemporary Christian teased me, “No wonder you get so depressed.” The truth is, low-down country folk gives voice to my sorrow and keeps me from jumping off the cliff out back.
Keep up the faithful blogging, my friend.
That is so well written, you wrote a fantastic piece. And it’s ok to take cheap shots at the genre, it’s quite fun actually. 🙂
Thanks—I think we all get better as we keep writing even if we are not writers per se. (I had to google the spelling of that little thingee)
“If you limit music because of prejudice; you are only hurting yourself. Worse than that-you are closing your mind”
Hear hear! I’ve never understood the blanket statements of ‘I hate country’ or ‘I hate _____’ – just doesn’t make sense to talk yourself out of discovering some great music.
Thank you for your last post as well – not sure if you’ve read 11/22/63 (great book!) but that expression “dancing is life” makes a couple appearances. The high school kids in that novel came together to raise money & more importantly, the community spirits for an important cause and it’s nice to hear that kids are taking that same initiative in the non-fiction world as well!
Thanks on both counts. I don’t understand why people proudly state their ignorance like a badge of honor. I like all music except ______. The music in that blank spot tells me more about a person than the music they like every time. And I will check that book, thanks.