Country Music: the Choice of Trailer Trash?
Ask someone what kind of music theyâre into and nine times out of ten, the response will be: âI like all kinds⦠except countryâ¦â. Most people think country means songs in which women moan about their husbands walking out on them and their forty children, or songs in which fully grown men cry about having their horse stolen.
To the younger generations, country means that weird old music that only parents (or grandparents) listen to, and it’s not hard to see where theyâre coming from; as children, we rummage through our parent’s album collections only to discover bizarre record covers with cheesy, old fashioned pictures of men dressed in rhinestone suits with leather cowboy boots; country music was lurking.
The country genre became associated with Billy Ray Cyrusâ awful novelty record âAchy Breaky Heartâ and the resultant line-dancing craze, and it also spawned the over-played radio-friendly MOR of Shania Twain and Sheryl Crow. All are great reasons to be put off country music for life.
But in this sea of country music crass, a king was born; Johnny Cash, a man with a deep, disturbing voice, who dresses all in black like a real rock star and tells the most wonderful stories through his songs.
Take a listen to songs like âA Boy Named Sueâ and âOne Piece At A Timeâ and youâll realise that the ridiculous tales country artists come up with are more often than not told with tongue very firmly in cheek. He did serious stuff too, of course. âRing Of Fireâ is one of the greatest love songs ever written, âFolsom Prison Bluesâ tackles the themes of redemption and regret perfectly and signature tune âThe Man In Blackâ is an inspiring manifesto, pleading for an end to social injustice.
A little bit of research into Cashâs contemporaries leads to such names as Wilson Nelson, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams. Nelson, who it seems hasnât aged in around thirty years, and Haggard came to prominence during the rise in popularity of outlaw country in the 1970s, a movement that saw a trend towards songs about jail, drinking, drugs and hard working men. Williams meanwhile left a legacy in country music when he died aged 29 after overdosing on Morphine. During the 1950s, Williams was a pioneer of the honky-tonk style, which Elvis Presley later adopted and became a global superstar in the process.
All of the above, including Elvis, are inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1962. Located in Nashville – âmusic city USAâ, the Country Music Hall of Fame doubles as a museum of all things country, including hand-written lyrics sheets and instruments used by legendary artists including Cash; and there’s plenty of rustic country hotels in Nashville available for anyone wishing to pay the Hall of Fame and its many inductees a visit.
Paul McIndoe is an online, freelance journalist and keen hillwalker. He lives in Edinburgh with his two dogs.
With John’s social life at a standstill and his ex-wife about to get remarried, a down on his luck divorcee finally meets the woman of his dreams, only to discover she has another man in her life her son. Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, Cyrus takes an insightful and funny look at love and family in contemporary Los Angeles.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Find More Cyrus Trailer Articles
0 Comments.