I'm British and I like country music. So what? And no, I'm not talking about Taylor Swift, much as I love her. Maybe we could stretch her into the tween-country category, but in my eyes, Taylor is pop through and through. Not that I think pop music is bad, there is NOTHING wrong with pop music. Pop music makes people happy, you can hear the lyrics of pop songs, you don't have to have smoked weed to relate to pop songs, pop songs either make your bop or cry and bopping and crying are two activities I would recommend for a healthy existence. ANYWAY, this blog is not about pop, so bye bye pop HELLO country. You may be wondering how I, a middle-class, musical-theatre dork, discovered country music and I can tell you that it's all my Dad's fault. He's the one who turned up 'That's Right You're Not From Texas' by Lyle Lovett and made us dance, who stuck on The Dixie Chicks on family holidays to Cornwall, who made me a CD of Lee Ann Womack's tune 'I Hope You Dance' for my 16th birthday and who continues to play Lady Antebellum on repeat and I LOVE HIM FOR IT. I remember one night driving home from basketball practice (yes I know you're all laughing at the thought of me playing basketball, but focus) and we both decided to listen to the country music hour on Radio 2 and it was SO awesome. Recently I've been trying to work out why my itunes is bursting with Carrie Underwood, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dolly Parton and Faith Hill and I've come to this conclusion: it's cos' country music keeps it real. Here are my reasons:
1. They talk about everyday things like coffee. Everyone drinks coffee or knows people that drink coffee. So pretty much everyone can relate to lyrics in country music. (I also really, really like coffee)
2. They use cool instruments. If anyone can see a banjo and not get excited, then you've got a serious problem.
3. They use a lot of road imagery. This makes it great music for either a) running away from home or b) dreaming about running away from home. Listen to country music and you instantly envisage a beat up American car pacing through the deserts and prairies. Think the sweet smell of freedom, think all your possessions in one rucksack, think a lot of random gas stations filled with Vitamin water and fast food.
4. On every album there's a ho-down number. Now who doesn't like a good old fashioned barn dance? Think cheaper version of prom, think better food, think cheaper dress code, think straw hats and cowboy boots. AWESOME.
5. It's so easy to sing- a- long to. It's like they purposely create harmonies that beckon you into the song. YAY!
6. It's great toe-tapping music. I have a lot of great shoes, with great toe bits for tapping that hardly ever get a moment to shine. Country music creates opportunities for them to show the world what they're made of.
7. There's a variety of ballads. It's not always about the man that got away. Sometimes it's about life being like a Bargain Store, sometimes it's about the daughter that ran away and yes, sometimes it is about falling in love. Either way, country music moves away from the ear-splitting connotations of regular ballads and puts some real husky-voiced emotion into their tunes.
8. They tell great stories. Country music is pure escapism, now I know escapism is kind of the opposite of 'keeping it real' but surely everyone likes to add a dose of daydream to their reality. I know I do.
That's all I can think of for now. It's past eleven and I've just finished off yet another packet of midget-gems. I'm not at all proud of this, as far as confectionary goes they're a pretty weak choice. I think what I really wanted was a bag of minstrels, yes, I think that as I was eating midget gems I was trying to convince myself that they were minstrels, but they're not. Okay, I'm starting to sound like a nutter, but please take my thoughts on Country Music seriously, it deserves a chance, surely!?
OVER AND OUT.
p.s Hurrah for heart-shaped handwarmers!
