Throughout the semester I have noticed a huge dominance of country music in both the Austin culture, and my own culture overall that I had no idea was really there. My sister and I share a Spotify account, and she has been both shocked and confused at the different types of country music that I have found myself downloading throughout the past few months. It’s crazy to think how ever- present the country world really is, and it has definitely made me more appreciative of the music and everything that comes with it. Here are a few of my adventures that document the change I have experienced.

1. Two- stepping in Luckenbach

One Saturday some friends and I decided to go two- stepping in Luckenbach, Texas. It was definitely a drive, but we wanted to get the full country effect of country dancing. The dance hall was completely wooden, very rustic and genuine. I felt like a Southern belle in the era of Waylon Jennings just by being there. There was a band performing, with people dancing the night away. Much to my dismay, they never played the famous track, “Luckenbach, Texas,” but it still was a night to remember.
2. Willie Nelson Statue

Another thing I did as part of my country adventure was visit the ever famous statue of Willie Nelson. There on the corner of 2^nd and Lavaca Street stands the American icon himself. 2^nd street is now known as Willie Nelson Boulevard. The massive statue sits right outside the Austin City Limits studios. Seeing as Austin is known as a music capital, and of course a proud advocate for the, “Keep Austin Weird” culture, it’s only fitting that a musical superstar with a hippy lifestyle praised by his fans be constructed in bronze right outside the studios. He is now even a resident of Austin, and continues to excite the Austin community with his performances consistently.

3. Cowgirl Hall of Fame

The Cowgirl Hall of Fame is one of my favorite parts about my hometown, Fort Worth. Since it was built in 2002, I have been visiting ever so often, especially when we have our touristy family members in town. It wasn’t until I took this course that I realized how the brave outlaw cowgirls were connected with country music. The HOF is an empowering place for women in the country culture, as it, “celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience and independence that helped shape the American West.” To me, the abundance of Cowgirl HOF’s across the country have instilled a sense of pride and honor among country women, especially musical artists. Women have come a long way in country music, and it’s places like this that could have inspired women to make their mark in country music. It made me feel proud of both country music and its culture to honor women in such a noble manner.

I highly recommend taking a trip to any of these places. It might not be your usual weekend agenda, but they are sure to be worth your while!

Almost everyone in America during the year of 2003 knew about the dramatic public announcement made by the Dixie Chicks during a concert in London. This caused a massive stir when the group announced that they were “ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas,” and that they were not in support of the war and violence that was occurring. Many people saw this as complete and utter disrespect for America, the government, and most importantly the U.S. troops who were sacrificing their lives on behalf of the country. The group even saw a major decline in record sales and popularity.

Growing up, the Dixie Chicks were my all- time favorite singers. I spent hours listening to their CD’s on my boombox, making up dances to their songs with my friends, and memorizing the lyrics that glorified girl power and being a southern girl. When the London concert incident happened, I could not have been more upset. I had so much respect for those women, and looked up to them very much, so when my parents told me I was no longer allowed to listen to them I was simply heartbroken as a little girl. I come from a conservative, Republican family, and I know I was just one of hundreds that banned the Dixie Chicks’ music from their household.

I can see exactly why what the Dixie Chicks did was disrespectful and dishonorable, but looking back on historical artists of country music many of them were so widely known or popular because of their “outlaw” status. After reading and learning about Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard to name a few, I realized that the Dixie Chicks could easily be considered outlaws. They didn’t go to jail or shoot anyone, but they stood up for what they believed in while bashing very important figures, and did so in a highly public manner. Clearly their rebelliousness didn’t produce a positive result or increase their popularity as some outlaws experienced, but they were acting out in classic outlaw behavior that was very prevalent in country music throughout history. They didn’t care what their label or fans would think, but wanted to say what they were feeling, even if it was disrespectful and would cause a major backlash. Very similar situations and decisions are what gave some artists in history that very reputation of being an outlaw. However, because the Dixie Chicks were displaying the opposite of patriotism, which is such a huge part of country music, there is no way that they could receive any type of positive feedback from it. There’s no turning back once you do something like that. But is rebelling this drastically not outlaw status even more?

One of the most meaningful communities that I identify with is the Christian community. Ever since I was little I have found the God’s word to be a source of refuge, support, and strength throughout my lifetime. When listening to country music, I have found that a good majority of artists have expressed similar feelings about their faith and what it stands for through one song, or many songs throughout their careers. This is one factor that made me take a liking to country music growing up. Some may say that faith in country music can be hypocritical if for example an artist releases a song that praises God, but also cites stories about partying or sinful things. However, it’s my belief that so much music today consists of songs about bad judgment or “sinful” things, and it’s refreshing to hear someone talk about their faith. Also, because Christianity is all about our acknowledgement of not being perfect and needing God, the songs with faith and sin are simply more real and genuine.

Ever since I was little, I have always felt that my faith was something that made up who I am and gave my life a purpose. Whether I was going through a breakup, struggling with family issues, or stressing about school I knew that I would always have someone to look to for help when life got crazy. I always knew that I was nowhere near perfect, and it was comforting to know that someone was always looking out for me and would forgive me no matter what.

When looking at country music from a Christian standpoint, I found myself able to relate to a lot of songs. I didn’t come from a small town, have parties out of a truck bed and sit around fires, but I did enjoy the way that so many country artists stated their faith and what it meant to them, whether it was simply one line of a song or the complete meaning of it Artists like Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, and Faith Hill were people that were known to express their love for God through their music. Throughout my teen years I went through many different phases of the genres of music I liked to listen to, and still change it today, but country has always been somewhat of a quiet constant for me because I always respected it due to how so many artists shared my faith. Whether the song stated things like, “God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy,” as Billy Currington does or more devotional things like, “When I get where I’m going and I see my maker’s face I’ll stand forever in the light of his amazing grace,” as Brad Paisley does, I still found myself taking a liking to the song.

One song in particular was one of my favorite ones growing up, called “Jesus Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. The song describes a girl getting into a car wreck, which puts her life into perspective and makes her want to give her life up completely to God. Though this is a situation that not all people can relate to, if you take it metaphorically many Christian listeners can relate to it, as I did. There are events in my life that have caused me to want to strive to be a better person in order to glorify God.

Being a part of the Christian community has most definitely played a role in the type of music that I listen to. I certainly don’t listen to only gospel music, and even listen to what some would say is the complete opposite through rap/ hip- hop, but it is a nice refresher to hear such faith- filled songs in the country genre that I can relate to. In the end, it has made me feel as though country is a more genuine, tell- it- like- it- is genre.