Today, as I put the house back in order from the holidays, I turn up the radio and belt out the song with my horribly out-of-tune voice.
It's a country song. It's Carrie Underwood. My husband comes into the kitchen, and I confess, "Honey, I'm sorry, I'm back to country music. I just love it, and I can't help it."
I do love country music. I love the sentimental, predictable, sappy, small-town, bad-rhymes, and twanging guitars of it. I love it all. I know I'm supposed to be refined, academic, discerning, and above this kind of music. I'm supposed to have good taste.
I know it's not intellectual. I know that the formula is standard in most country songs: Someone's going to have a broken heart. God usually appears by the last line. And finally, it's going to be patriotic of all things.
I love it. I love it all.
I had to admit this to you. I hope you'll still like me.
________________________
Do you have a favorite country song? Anything else you'd like to admit?
Country music is great because when you play a song backwards, your wife comes back, your love life improves, your dog comes back to life, your truck gets fixed, the rain stops and the sun comes out . . . . .
ReplyDeleteI once heard someone say that God only created two kinds of music: Country and Western.
The song "This is country music" by Brad Paisley describes exactly why country music is so appealing. I hope you'll listen to it because I know you will hear in the lyrics one reason why I really relate to the song. And yes, I still like you! :)
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I told my youngest sister (the one with a band) I had started listening to country music which only proved the demise of true country music.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I still like you; my favorite music and podcasts come on NPR. I inherited and still have an original vinyl (of course!) copy of "Cool Water" album by the Sons of the Pioneers. I love that record.
In "Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself," David Foster Wallace suggests that country music's stories of broken hearted ,romantic love may just be metaphors. "And what they’re really singing to is themselves, or to God, you know? 'Since you’ve left I’m so empty I can’t live, my life has no meaning.'” (DFW) I don't care for country music, but this interpretation intrigues me and may make listening to country music more palatable, maybe even intellectual.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought I'm tapping into something deep when I sing a country song! Thank you Italian Mama and DFW! I remember reading something like that!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I love that you have a little sister in a band and a vinyl of Cool Water!
ReplyDeleteYes!!
ReplyDeleteHa ha!!
ReplyDeleteTaylor's Swift's "Mean" is very freeing as one reflects on one's own adolescent past and struggles to guide one's own daughter through the same experience...yeah...it's a little "in your face," but it really rings true at some level.
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