Author Archives: John Monroe

When I tell people that I like Country music, about half the time they say something along the lines of, “they just sing about the same stuff: trucks, dirt roads, and drinking.” Whenever I hear this I try my best to tell that person about the heartbreaking and inspiring country songs that also exist regarding a number of different topics, but in the back of my mind I know that most of the chart topping country has been dominated by such topics. In this blogpost I would like to highlight country songs with cliche topics that aren’t terrible, because every cliche is based on a truth that these songs nail right on the head.

First off is the ever-popular topic “trucks”. It seems to be the first thing that people go to when they think of country because just about every country star can be seen in or by one in their music videos (yes, even Taylor Swift! ) As a proud truck owner myself I understand the appeal – trucks are utilitarian and offer the ability to be prepared for more situations, allow the driver to make it to more places, and you can beat the car up a bit too. One of the best country songs that sing about trucks is “Drive” by Alan Jackson. In this song he sings about driving, “an old half ton short bed Ford,” with his father and how that was one of his favourite memories that he hopes to share with his daughters.

The second topic that country singers love to sing about, and country haters love to complain about are dirt roads. Singing about driving down a dirt road to a secluded spot is a staple in country, but I don’t think singing about such things is bad at all. In my experience driving down a dirt road has almost always resulted in an amazing memory. In Brooks and Dunn’s song “Red Dirt Road” they sing not just of the fun they had there but of growing up and experiencing important moments of life like, “Where I drank my first beer,” and, “Where I found Jesus.” So next time you see a dirt road, take a lesson from the multitude of country songs and see what’s down there.

Finally, if one thing in country has been consistent throughout the ages it been singing about drinking. From honky tonks and airplanes to tailgates and mexican beaches, country singers have drank there. In this case I think that critics may be right, country singers always have and always will sing about drinking but just like drinking I think that in moderation these songs are a good thing. They are stress relievers. Of all the drinking songs out there I think that one of the best, and a top contender for my all time favorite song, is “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” by Alan Jackson. This song is all about letting loose after the world has been too harsh, which is something that can be good if done right and something that everybody can relate to.

The critics of country music will always complain that all the artists sing about the same things. While I think responding by telling them “there is so much more to country music” is true I think that also belittles some amazing songs. So next time somebody complains tell them that there is more to country music, but that songs about dirt roads, and trucks, and drinking aren’t all bad too.

I grew up in a town called The Woodlands where listening to country music wasn’t exactly the norm, and most of those who did listen to country mainly listened to the more pop oriented and modern songs. My relationship with the town was different than most. Typically Woodlanders live in suburban neighborhoods with small backyards and with neighbors on the other side of the fence. I on the other hand live on the same thirty acre property in the woods that my dad grew up on, and over the years The Woodlands has grown around us.

The Woodlands is now a very different place than it was when I was young.

The Woodlands expanding to my fenceline.

The population has more than doubled and as you can see in the photo the woods surrounding my property have become apartments and office buildings and construction sites – the times they are a-changin’. Country music has gone through lots of changes as well. The tried and tested steel guitar, bass, and drum kit has been replaced with a highly processed sound, sections of rap, and electronic beat makers.

While the feeling nostalgia for the “good ole’ days” is powerful, I also really like that there is now a Whole Foods just down the road and that there’s more than three restaurants by my house. The growth of the town around me might has meant change, which is scary, but not inherently bad. The country music I grew up with listening to in the truck with my dad sure was the best, and it hearkens back to better days, but the new wave of country music is not inherently bad either. New artists have the unique opportunity to be more relevant to the current times, as well as use popular techniques and practices from modern genres.

Merle Haggard’s song “Are the Good Times Really Over” speaks to the anxiety that, “the good times [are] over for good,” and spends most of the song remembering how things used to be. What sets this song apart and what really draws me to it is the final two verses that break the mold. Haggard goes on to sing, “The best of the free life is still yet to come\The good times ‘aint over for good.” This change at the end of the song, I think, is the best way to deal with change in general. It is important to remember where things came from but it doesn’t do well to dwell on the past. Country music may be changing, and as long as my old time favorites aren’t forgotten I think new potential favorites will be made, and who knows what great and unexpected things change may bring.