Well, I love a country song. Not just because I grew up in the South and have been exposed to them in a big way, but because they are about life. In most of them, you can actually understand the words (with a few exceptions in what currently passes for Country). Words and word play are also a big part of the success formula. My mother's two younger brothers were still at home when I was a kid, and I remember sitting in the front porch swing listening to them play and sing during the fifties. I have quite a few in my repertoire, and I have written and performed several of my own. I enjoy those singers who stay in touch with the roots of the genre. I like Merle Haggard, George Jones, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, and now Josh Turner. I have many more favorites, but those listed can interpret a song. That goes beyond just singing the words. They are able to add subtle bends to the notes to embue them with emotions from their own experience. I decided one night to write a song about Country Music and I am going to present it today in an ammended form more suited for reading.
Country Song
I remember when I was three
just sitting on my daddy’s knee
as I listened to him play in the key of D
a good old country song.
I strummed alone until I was ten
then I picked in a duo with my uncle Ben,
I love it now like I loved it then
playing good old country songs.
By the time I was twenty five,
I was picking in a country dive.
It’s a wonder I am still alive
playing good old country songs.
But every day when my work is done
I play my guitar just for fun.
I’ve memorized most everyone of
those good old country songs.
I love a country song,
soft or loud, short or long,
sung alone or done in harmony.
Fiddles whining, banjos ringing,
guitars strumming, people singing,
that’s country soul and it will
set your spirit free.
Now, I've loved that music my whole life long,
and I don't think that I'm alone,
so if you agree won’t you sing along
on the chorus of this country song?
Because whether I die on the land or sea,
before they start to carry me,
find someone and play for me,
a good old country song.
I love a country song,
soft or loud, short or long,
sung alone or done in harmony.
Fiddles whining, banjos ringing,
guitars strumming, people singing,
that’s country soul and it will
set your spirit free.
Setting a good example for children takes all the fun out of middle age. - William Feather
