Category Archives: Politics

Country Music and Politics: Is the Genre Red or Blue?

berniesanders

Our political views are often shaped by the community we live in: what our families believe, what we watch on TV, and even the kind of music we listen to. All of these aspects of life influence what we put value in. So as a fan of country music, and with the presidential election just a year away, I found myself asking how the genre views hot topics in politics today.

This piece is not meant to advance a political agenda, but rather serve as a platform for you, the reader, to be exposed to songs about social issues and decide for yourself to which side the genre swings. I do not pretend to be a political expert, so all statements on the views of the DNC and GOP will be derived directly from their published 2012 platforms. So without further ado, let’s see if country music is red or blue.

“All-American Boy”

Steve Grand’s new song “All-American Boy” was released in 2013 and immediately went viral; people went crazy for country music’s “first openly gay country star”. The story his music video portrays is the all too common predicament of wanting someone we can’t have, except this time it is from the perspective of a gay man crushing on his straight friend. Grand is always the first to point out that he has predecessors in country music who were also gay, but there is no doubt that Grand is making a splash with fans for his openness. Use the following to determine if Grand lines up more with the left or right.

Democrat: “We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples.”

Republican: “We reaffirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”

“The Call” by Matt Kennon

Abortion is a touchy and emotion-charged subject, and the decision to support “pro-life” or “pro-choice” is not one that is usually taken lightly. In Matt Kennon’s song “The Call”, he tells the story of a young couple getting pregnant and the man encouraging the woman to get an abortion. But just as the girl is in the doctor’s office he calls her to tell her that he changed his mind and wants to raise the baby together, and the girl is overjoyed. At the end of the song Kennon expresses the importance of phoning a friend every so often, he says “They might be glad you called.” So what do you think? Does this song express Democratic or Republican ideas?

Blue: “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.”

Red: “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”

“Made in America” by Toby Keith

I hope you’ve seen in this article that country music is not totally red or blue, but perhaps…purple. People tend not to lean totally to one side, and neither does country music. But if there’s one thing the two parties and the genre can agree on it’s that they are proud to be American, and that the American Dream is something worth fighting for. The perfect summation of this pride is Toby Keith’s song “Made in America”.

DNC: “We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”

GOP: “The pursuit of opportunity has defined America from our very beginning. This is a land of opportunity. The American Dream is a dream of equal opportunity for all.”

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Filed under Blog Post 3, Politics, USA

What if We Put Rap Lyrics to Country Music?

Over the years rap music has been one of those genres my parents tried to keep out of the house as long as possible. Even when I was in early high school I got into Christian rap which they immediately assumed was typical, inappropriate secular rap music (it took some convincing that the rappers in fact were NOT singing about drugs and alcohol). Rap music seems to cover a whole slew of controversies and in turn receives much of the backlash and hate for doing so. Meanwhile in country music a lot of the topics discussed are very similar yet do not take as much heat. Here are just a few comparisons between the two that might explain why this is. (side note: a lot of this is speculation from my experience with each of the genres so y’all may have differing opinions that I would love to hear.)

Sound. Country music generally has more upbeat melodies that you can dance to or just plain relax to. Popular songs such as “Friends in Low Places” and “The Boot-Scootin’ Boogie” make people want to get on their feet and dance. In contrast rap tends to have a harsher sound–not to say it sounds bad, just different. Many times the tone rappers have in their music can be a little angry or intense, like Eminem (sorry Slim Shady–still love you). This being said negative topics can more easily be associated with rap music even though both genres generally talk about the same things.

Singers Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj strike a pose

Look. Appearances matter–especially for musicians. What a musician wears for their performances and music videos says something about their self-expression and how they want people to view them. Although there can be an occasional country music star such as Dolly Parton who appears flashy on stage, for the most part they are more humble and down-to-earth in their appearance. Rap and Hip-Hop music is more edgy and usually pushes the boundaries of what is appropriate to wear on stage and in music videos.

Word Choice. The way lyrics are stated vary from genre to genre. Rap music tends to be more blunt. Artists will typically throw in clever puns that allude to illicit substances or sexual innuendos. Country music tends to romanticize lyrics–whether they really are romantic or not. One such song is “Your Man” by Josh Turner (locking the doors and turning the lights down low is a nice way to say they are about to ~get it on~). In the end, however, country music tends to not be nearly as vulgar in language as rap, which contributes to its positive reputation.

Beyond the Music. Could it be that aside from all of these technical reasons there is a deeper, underlying social issue? Race can be a very touchy subject but sometimes that can be the reason for a lot of stereotyping and hate. Rap does not receive a lot of hate–but more like criticism because of the touchy subjects it covers. Again a lot of this is from my perspective on rap music versus country music as a whole. I would like to hear what y’all think about the difference between rap and country in listeners’ ears. Looking back at the title: what if we put rap lyrics to country music? How would it be different? How would people take it?

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Filed under Blog Post 4, Politics, Reflection

Our ‘Buzzfeed’ Articles All in One Place

Before we turn our attention to writing new papers, let’s take a minute to celebrate the old ones. Here is a comprehensive list of the Buzzfeed-style articles that everyone wrote. Take a look, leave some comments, share your favorites with your followers on Facebook and Twitter, etc.

chesneyCrossing Lines

nataliemainesLiving & Learning

underwoodLoving & Leaving

Garth Brooks's wings

Raising Awareness & Showing Support

paisleyLooking Forward & Back

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Filed under Buzzfeed article, Class work, Lists, Politics

Follow Your Arrow

Country music has always featured controversial topics, but the most popular seems to be about alcohol and drugs. While other genres like rap talk about it literally, country music seems to put a comical twist on these bad habits. The artist that I believe to do the best job of tackling this subject is female country artist Kacey Musgraves. Some of my favorite songs of hers include “Follow Your Arrow,” “Blowing Smoke,” and “Merry Go ‘Round. “ Rolling Stones states “25-year-old Kacey Musgraves has become one of the loudest symbols of young country musicians embracing progressive values.”

Kacey is not only a wonderful singer, but also an incredible songwriter. She has co-written “Mama’s Broken Heart” for Miranda Lambert and “Undermine” for the ABC series Nashville. The Guardian explains that Kacey “has a way of making people feel special not by telling them that they’re special, but by reminding them that no one really is.” This is easily seen in her new songs “Biscuits” and “Cup of Tea.”

My coworker is friends with Kacey’s sister Kelly and tells me that Kacey is a little crazy, but she is as real as her songs. She loves to smoke and do drugs and doesn’t care what people think. She isn’t being fake, or trying to portray herself as someone she isn’t. I am proud that she comes from Texas and I love that her songs aren’t written for everyone. Her songs are written for the people who want to listen and can relate. She hasn’t commercialized herself in the way Nashville does to so many female country artists. Kacey is probably my favorite country female out right now and I really can’t wait to see her in concert again.

The first time I saw Kacey Musgraves in concert was when she was opening for another act. I unfortunately don’t remember who she opened for, I only remember sitting there with my mother when we heard “Follow Your Arrow” for the first time. We both looked at each other and said that she is going to be big some day. My mother still listens to Kacey today and has stated to me on several occasions that she want to see her in concert again

I have posted some of the songs I have mentioned in this post below. I really hope you enjoy them and I am curious to hear what you all think about this newer female country artist.

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Filed under Politics, Texas, Women

Feminism In Country Music

Country music doesn’t have much of a reputation for speaking out about gender equality and women’s rights. Songs like Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” definitely does not help this reputation.  For years women in the country music industry have written songs about men breaking their hearts, getting cheated on, and loving a man who isn’t kind or thankful. However, many female country music artists in the past as well as today are boldly speaking out about these issues.  Women have enhanced country music and have developed the genre into what it is today, so I believe that these women deserve some recognition.  I have developed a random list of a few country songs that I believe have made a significant contribution to spreading the idea of feminism in country music.

Maddie & Tae – “Girl In a Country Song”

This song was released in July, 2014 as their debut single.  It has been played over and over again on country music radio since its release.  These two girls wrote this song as a response to their frustration with Bro Country.  They were tired of girls being portrayed as sexual objects for many famous male performers.  Maddie & Tae use a sarcastic song to make fun of Bro Country and show the ridiculousness of many famous songs in this beloved sub-genre.  These girls express their feminist views with lyrics such as these: “We used to get a little respect / now we’re lucky if we even get / to climb in your truck, keep our mouth shut and ride along / and be the girl in a country song.”

Dolly Parton – “Just Because I’m a Woman”

“Just Because I’m a Woman” is apparently Dolly Parton’s response to a conversation with her husband about how many lovers they’d had in the past. It has a simple message, yet a powerful one.  Dolly says that just because she is a woman, her mistakes are no worse than her husband’s.  Released in 1968, this song made a splash and spoke about women’s rights long before people were ready to accept the message.

Shania Twain – “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”

Shania Twain is one of my favorite artists because her songs are easy to understand and enjoyable to listen to, but usually have a hidden message.  In this song, Shania is expressing her pride in being a woman.  Shania stands up for women’s right to have a good time without a man by saying, “No inhibitions, make no conditions / get a little outta line / I ain’t gonna act politically correct / I only want to have a good time.”  Songs like these paved the way for artists like Britney Spears and Carrie Underwood to be accepted into the music world as sassy, strong women.  Some people even believe that this song is also speaking about gays rights, which makes the song even more incredible.

Wanda Jackson – “My Big Iron Skillet”

“My Big Iron Skillet” is about a woman fed up with her husband’s philandering and mistreatment of her. Not that we condone beating your spouse with a skillet, obviously, but it shows a woman standing up for herself, and that’s a thing we can support.  Wanda says “And you think here at home is where I ought to be / There’s gonna be some changes made when you get in tonight / Cause I’m gonna teach you wrong from right.”  Wanda really knew how to assert herself as an independent woman back in a time when most women did not do this.

The Carter Family – “Single Girl, Married Girl”

The Carter Family probably wasn’t the first to sing this song, but it echoes the roots of feminism in country and folk music.  This song is a tale that warns women to savor their independence.  The single girl gets to flaunt her nice clothes while the married woman is left rocking a cradle and crying.  It’s definitely not a bad thing to be married, but the Carter Family just wants women to make something of themselves instead of depending on a man. This is one of the earliest feminist songs, making the Carter Family even more legendary.

Kacey Musgraves – “Follow Your Arrow”

Kacey Musgraves has a made a huge splash in the country music world by sharing her liberal views in a primarily conservative genre.  This song, “Follow Your Arrow” pushes people to do whatever makes them happy and not try to please others.  Although this song is a comment on gay rights and acceptance, I believe that it is also a very feminist song.  Kacey tells us to make lots of noise and kiss lots of boys, which was not an acceptable way for women to act in the past.

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Filed under Lists, Politics, Song Analysis, Women