Random Thought Thursday: The Final Sh*tty Pop Country Music Rant

Well for those that didn’t know, I just got back Monday morning from spending my days hiking 10 miles up mountains to breathtaking views of rivers, canyons, glaciers, and wildlife in the Canadian Rockies with Mrs. Red. We had a hell of a time, it was easily the most beautiful and awe-inspiring place I have visited to date…but I digress. Essentially the only thing that ground my gears while on this trip was 2 gentlemen at the cabin ground we spent 3 nights at in Jasper National Park. The campground was self proclaimed as a “get back to nature” joint with no TVs or even a clock in their cabins and that the sound of nature should be your soundtrack for your stay. Well these gents pulled their car up to the river, open the hatch, poured some something in their red solo cup and listened to that horrendous “oh my god, this is my song” country song on repeat for about 3 hours. So, here is my swan song on the subject…

Last evening I was practicing for a gig with a gent that I respect as a songwriter probably more than I respect ANY songwriter. He asked about a new EP I was working on (all inspired by the trip we just took) and I told him about it, how it was titled ‘Canyon’ and why and he responded with something along he lines of “that’s great man. At least it’s real and inspired by something authentic”. Which made me think about the “something about a truck guy” and while I can understand that it is a business model, people will eat this stuff up and pay 80 bucks to come see you play a stadium show, but you sir, are an asshole. When did songwriting become so goddamn plastic and terrible. How did we go from Hank Williams to a guy proclaiming that a lady thinks his tractor is sexy? Where did we steer wrong America?

I’d like to think that crafting a song is an art and a form of intense expression of introspection and digesting how you see the world into a prose. Ok, ok, do all songs have to be “I went to the store, I got some sugar and butter, I saw a Volkswagon Jetta on my way home, I am going to make a cake”. No, of course they shouldn’t be that direct or blunt, the songwriter of course has liberties and should use them, but within a range. I guess I just have a hardtime thinking that that “cowboy” with his fancy $700 boots actually had the balls to head out into the field and scuff them up.

In a world where rap music is primarily focused on objectifying woman, partying in the club popping bottles, and riding in low riders and country music has turned from some of the most prolific and heartfelt music to something plastic and manufactured it seems easy to lose hope in where it is heading. There is a problem when kids don’t know who Bob Dylan is, but they sure as hell loved that new song “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” that Miley Cyrus just dropped.

So why am I writing this? I guess its that I have come to grips with the fact that music does something different for everyone and everyone is entitled to their own opinion on it. There may be some drunk cowboy out there who relates to that truck guy’s song…maybe to him it’s authentic and real and man, he just loves rolling the windows down and listening. Maybe there is something to be said about lyrics that aren’t over pensive and thoughtful and are simply ridiculous. Hey, maybe they are fun or take your mind off the more serious stuff? Maybe everything has its place. So hell, crank your Kei$ha and strap on your cowboy chaps as you head out to downtown Manhattan. If it makes you feel good and you get something out of it, I suppose there isn’t any shame or harm…you can have your music and I guess I will take mine.