What is tradition? Every family has those quirky things they do that have become ritual. Only your family gets it, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.
My family has so many traditions and I am very thankful for that. From having a white elephant party each year before Christmas to cooking “beer butt chicken”, I love all the unique traditions my family has and I know I will pass those on to my family when I am older.
One of my favorite traditions takes place on the way to my favorite place, Concan, Texas. Ever since I can remember, we turn right into Sabinal and as soon as we pass the train tracks, we have to listen to country music singer, Owen Temple. The 45 minutes it takes to get from Sabinal to Concan are some of the best times. I bet most of you reading this have probably never heard of Owen Temple, but that’s what makes this tradition for my family even that more special. He was my dad’s favorite artist and would always play at a small venue in Concan when I was younger.
The feeling of knowing you will have a fun and relaxing weekend on the river is unbeatable and I’ll always associate that feeling with Owen Temple’s music.
My most-liked song by this small town artist is “Passing Through”. Although the song is directed towards a person he loves, I take the lyrics and associate them with the town I love.
“The sun comes up on a distant hill/ I loved you then and I always will/ I just roll the windows down/ Passing through your hometown”. These few lines are my favorite because I am sure you can imagine driving through the hill country, watching the sunset, blaring music with the windows down. A trip to Concan without Owen Temple on the speakers would discount the trip.
That is the cool thing about country music, everyone is able to interpret meanings of songs in their own way. One song can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Or you are able to associate a song with a memory, or in my case associate a song with a tradition. Whatever the case, country music means a lot to its listeners.
Next time you hear the country song play on the speakers that you can sing every word to, embrace it and sing your heart out.
Great post! I just finished writing my second blog post and I too wrote about an artist that I’m sure many people have never heard of. You’re right in saying that it makes that artist, or song, all the more special when less people have heard of it. The artist I wrote about is from Arizona, where I was born and raised. He, therefore has a special spot in my heart amongst all other country favorites of mine. Owen Temple is special to you and reminds you of your special family tradition, and I think that is something that will stick with you your whole life, every time you hear that song. The photo you posted of Concan, Texas with the creek looks beautiful, by the way.
Kelby,
This was a really enjoyable post. I have personally never heard of those small towns but I definitely agree that country music plays a huge role in remembering traditions because of its ability to evoke such strong feelings of nostalgia. I, too have my own family traditions of driving to small towns in Texas so I can really relate to this. I also agree with what you said about interpretations about songs. So often I have found myself relating to a song or understanding it in a way that I later found out was completely different than what the artist may have intended, but I think that is something that is really special about country music. For whatever reason, I have always felt that this genre allows and invites listeners to evoke their own meanings and understandings to the lyrics of songs, allowing them to apply their own experiences and ideas to them. I think this is something that allows country to become more personal and meaningful.
I loved reading your blog post! I feel like the intro about family traditions made readers really reflect. I know I thought about all of the unique and straight up goofy things my family does before and after holidays. Personally, I have never heard of Concan but I can imagine that country music brings out the passionate love you have for that small town. Country music seems to do that a lot. I also really liked the song that reminds you of Concan! Owen Temple has a great voice. This song can be construed in many different ways, but I agree that country music and lyrics have that affect on everyone. Great post!!
I can really relate to this post- while my family doesn’t blast country music in the car on roadtrips (although I wish they did), we always listen to Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry Christmas From the Family” during the Holidays. It honestly wouldn’t be Christmas without my mom trying to play her traditional Christmas music and my dad messing with her and playing Robert Earl Keen. It’s awesome how country music can mean so much to families! I had never heard of Owen Temple before but after listening to the song you posted, I will definitely have to give hime a try!
Great post! I wasn’t familiar with this artist so it was cool to read about someone different. I liked that you wrote about family traditions because country music and the culture surrounding it have so many great opportunities for the whole family to enjoy it in some capacity. We used to have a family tradition of going to see Jerry Jeff Walker perform at Gruene Hall for many years and it always a great time.
This was a neat post to read because I had never heard of Owen Temple. I think it’s great that you took on the challenge of writing about a lesser known artist because I think sometimes it can be difficult hooking readers on a topic they are unfamiliar with. You took the bull by the horns and were able to write a great story about something meaningful to you. Your use of imagery was excellent; I could picture the ride your family takes through the countryside with the river and the sunsets, which made the post more enjoyable to read. I also really liked the song; I love finding new artists in unexpected places! Great post!
I love this post about traditions! My family has lots of traditions that almost always involve music. For instance, every summer we go to Tennessee to visit my grandparents. During that 16 hour car ride, if we don’t listen to Shania Twain, then everyone gets grumpy. We always jam out to her at about halfway through the trip to boosts everyone’s spirits. It’s also a tradition to stop at a very specific rest stop to get a postcard to keep. Family trips bring up so many traditions that I didn’t even realize were there, but they are the absolute best.
Awesome article! The beauty of country music is that the subjects talked about in many of the genre’s songs are relatable to so many people. For me, there are certain songs (which I know by heart, by the way), that remind me of a certain place or a certain time in my life, and for that reason I love those songs more than music in any other genre. When it comes to country music, every listener has at least one song that brings back good memories and I believe that there’s a lot to be said for that. For me, I find it hard to listen to any other type of music when I know that country music can bring me back to great times with great people.