Category Archives: Reflection

by | April 12, 2015 · 8:00 am

I Want a Love like Johnny and June

FullSizeRenderRecently I visited Waterloo Records in Austin where I purchased Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison vinyl. For starters if you have never listened to this record it is a must! It was recorded at Folsom Prison so you can hear the prisoner’s reactions to Cash’s songs. It is truly an amazing record. On the back of the record was a copy of a letter Cash had written about prison and his experiences in prison.

This letter peaked my interest as I realized how little I actually knew about Johnny Cash. I love this letter for many reasons but mostly because he shared his experiences in a way that made me see how much he understood these men at Folsom Prison. Having been in prison a few times, he voiced his opinion on the “rehabilitation” of prisoners and their reemergence’s into a society that was to welcome them with open arms. Through this descriptive letter you can almost hear the frustration in Cash’s deep bass voice. It is a moving letter and does its job in exposing some of the flaws of the prison system. Moving away from his bad boy image I want to focus in on my primary interest, Johnny and June.

JohnnyCashJuneCarterCash1969June appears twice in Cash’s At Folsom Prison and wow do they make a great team. From what I have read they had a relationship that was incomparable. It took a couple of times but when Cash proposed in 1968 at a live performance in London, Ontario June finally said yes. She was a great supporting force in his life as she helped him overcome his drug addiction. She was completely devoted to him and he the same. Cash’s letter to her on her birthday is one for the records according to Taste of Country, Rolling Stones, Huffington Post and more.

o-HOUSE-OF-CASH-2-570Can you feel his emotion in this letter? His deep unwavering love for June is heart stopping and admirable. Even after her death Cash was completely devoted to her. In his last public appearance he said, “The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight with the love she had for me and the love I have for her. We connect somewhere between here and heaven. She came down for a short visit, I guess, from heaven to visit with me tonight to give me courage and inspiration like she always has.” You can’t tell me that you don’t want a love like Johnny and June’s.

Heidi Newfield’s song “Johnny and June” about sums it up for me. What about you?

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Filed under Country Symbols, Outlaw, Reflection

by | April 9, 2015 · 8:00 am

A George Song for Everyone

While I was home for Easter, we ate at one of my all time favorite restaurants – Babe’s Chicken Dinner. Who doesn’t love good fried chicken? Babe’s entertained diners with classic George Strait songs, which started a lively discussion about my family’s favorites.

“The Chair”

“The Chair” is my mom’s favorite George Strait song and is the first Strait song she remembers hearing. The song eavesdrops on a conversation between two strangers. The man approaches the woman and tells her “I think you’ve got my chair.” The song progresses along with their conversation. At the end, the man throws listeners for a loop, confessing “that wasn’t my chair after all.” My mom enjoys how “The Chair” plays with the conventions of conversation.

“Marina Del Rey”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTHztKRHfVQ

Apparently, George Strait makes a great first impression because my dad’s favorite song is “Marina Del Rey,” the first song he heard on his first George Strait CD. This song about a vacation love affair ends with the couple’s goodbye. My dad says this song is timeless, catchy and “vintage George Strait.” Critics say that Strait didn’t have the vocals to pull off the performance, but after watching his performance from The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, it is obvious his vocals are well suited for the song.

“Amarillo by Morning”

My grandma was born in Amarillo, Texas, so she feels a personal connection to “Amarillo By Morning”. It reminds her of driving to Colorado and stopping in Amarillo, the halfway point. Terry Strafford originally recorded “Amarillo By Morning” and George Strait covered it in 1982. “Amarillo By Morning” is very recognizable as George Strait’s because he paints a picture with the lyrics and instrumentals.

“You Look So Good in Love” 

“You Look So Good in Love” is my favorite Strait song. It is a unique break-up song. The narrator watches his ex-lover fall in love with someone else. However, instead of wanting to steal her back he realizes that he is not the guy to make her happy. He knows they weren’t meant to be. The sappy side of me loves that he lets his ex-lover have her happiness. The musical side of me recognizes that this is a very well written, catchy song.

There is no denying that the “King of Country Music” will forever be legendary. The ability of country music fans to immediately name a favorite George Strait song reflects the personal nature of his songs and his status as “King of Country Music.” Strait is a symbol of talent and consistency, a symbol that has propelled to the top. However, now that he is not touring and is taking a lower profile, new fans might not discover their favorite George Strait song – and they’ll be missing out.

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Filed under Country Symbols, Lists, Live Music, Music Videos, New Traditionalism, Reflection, Texas

by | April 3, 2015 · 8:00 am

Drive Down Memory Lane

I have traveled back in time a bit with my album analysis essay. When I was deciding what album to write about I decided to ask my dad what artist I should choose. My dad was the first person to introduce me to country music and I am very thankful for this. I ended up choosing Toby Keith’s Greatest Hits Volume One. My dad had a cassette of this in his blue pickup truck. I can vividly remember my tiny self sitting in the passenger seat as he drove me out to the small town of Nixon, Texas to visit family. Down the dirt roads we went singing along to “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.” In memory of the country music that influenced my childhood, I present a few of the songs I loved to sing along to back then.

First, sticking with the intro, is “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” by Toby Keith. I just remember him singing about “Miss Kitty” which I automatically thought at the time was about my Pre-K teacher who went by the same name. I loved this song, and still do.

Another one of my favorites was “All My Exes Live In Texas.” Sure I didn’t have any “exes” like  George Strait, but it was a catchy song. I loved songs about the state where I lived and since King George was from my beloved Texas, I appreciated it even more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMNw_-yUm_0

My dad took me to my first rodeo when I was six years old. The performers were Brooks and Dunn. I loved every minute of that night. I remember my dad and I dancing around the house to their music. He’s the one who taught me how to two step. The song that he and I dance to at every family event is “Neon Moon.” It is not necessarily anything about the message, but for some reason this has stuck as our dance song.

One of the greats, Garth Brooks, also played an important role in my upbringing. “Friends in Low Places” was a favorite. I was fun to sing with my whole heart to. I loved performing when I was little. You can bet this was one of the songs in my lineup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKScA_OIsRI

This final song was and still is one of my absolute favorites. Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take the Girl” is a sad song, but nonetheless one I never tire of hearing. McGraw is one of my favorite artists and I think it is because of this beautiful song.

You have now experienced a little bit of my childhood. I hope you enjoy listening to these songs as much as I do. Thanks to my dad for bringing me up as a country girl living in the city.

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Filed under Lists, Reflection, Texas, Uncategorized

by | March 30, 2015 · 8:00 am

Death in a Country Song

Country music has always been known for telling a captivating story. While many people believe that all country song are about beer, girls, and trucks, artists are still writings songs that break the norm and touch people’s heart. Country music tells beautiful stories about birth, intriguing stories about life, and unfortunately the sad truths about death. After doing my album analysis of Martina McBride’s Eleven, I started thinking about how many country songs cover the tragic story of death and sickness.

Martina McBride’s “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” is about a wife and mother of three who finds out she has breast cancer. The song follows her before, during, and after her treatments. Luckily, the woman in Martina McBride’s song doesn’t die, but instead pushes through the treatment with the support from her husband. This song ends on a happy note because no one passes away, but unfortunately not every song has such a happy ending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1yOHzuNskY

Alabama’s “The Christmas Shoes” played on my iPod yesterday and I couldn’t help but tear up. This emotional song is about a young boy who is trying to buy some shoes for his mother for Christmas. The listener quickly learns that the mother is very sick and not expected to live past Christmas. The boy doesn’t have enough money to pay for the shoes, so the man behind him at the cash register helps him cover the cost. This is another song where someone is very sick, but instead of making a healthy recovery, the family is doing whatever they can to make the mother more comfortable.

Carrie Underwood’s “Temporary Home” also ends with someone close to death, but instead takes a more inspirational turn when the man tries ensure everyone that he is going to a better place. This man’s temporary home was Earth and now he has stated that his is going home to heaven. I have seen Carrie Underwood perform this song in concert twice and each time I can’t help but think how comforting it must be to anyone who is about to, or already has lost a loved one.

The last song I will talk about is “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry. I had never really listen to the lyrics of this song until heard The Band Perry preform it live last summer. This is a very sad song about a person deciding how they want to be buried if they were to die young. Most young people never even consider this, but this song is about the singer not being afraid of death.

Most rap or hip-hop song are about living life to the fullest, but country songs do a beautiful job of tackling the more emotional topics that many artists don’t like to think about.

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Filed under Lists, Live Music, Music Videos, Reflection, Reviews

by | March 24, 2015 · 8:00 am

Welcome to Rodeo Houston

FullSizeRenderThe 2015 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) has sadly come to an end on this past March 22nd. Featuring artists from all different genres, such as pop, alternative rock and country, Rodeo Houston is a hub for great music. It is also a great place to let loose, eat good food, and watch champion bull riders! Besides the show my favorite part of the rodeo is the calf scramble. While I personally never participated in the calf scramble, my little brother did, and my dad is part of the calf scramble committee. Therefore I get to be up close and personal with it every year.

Now for those of you that don’t know, HLSR gives kids the chance of winning a $1500 scholarship if they catch a calf. The scholarship will fund their FFA and 4H projects for the upcoming year. They are also encouraged to show their heifer or steer at the next year’s livestock show. It is a great program that allows many kids to raise animals they wouldn’t have been able to if not for the scholarship. After the scrambling, the kids and audience get to enjoy another few events, and then (my 2nd favorite part) the CONCERT!

635624440226186392-DSC-0535This year I had the pleasure of seeing Blake Shelton and, boy, was it a great performance! He has a charisma on stage that makes the audience feel apart of the show. He talked about The Voice (http://www.nbc.com/the-voice), his wife Miranda and everyday life. My favorite thing he said was, “I’m sure there’s other things a lot of you dudes would rather have been doing tonight than sitting in here listening to me sing, but I want you to know that you did it for the right reasons—you did it because she wanted you to come out here.”(Blog) There were quite a few headshakes from men in the audience but when he followed up with “Doin’ what she likes” the men grabbed their sweet hearts and swayed right along.

Apart from playing all of his new radio hits he went back to the very first song he ever wrote. “Austin” separated the long time Blake fans from the newly acquired ones and brought everyone back to where he started. Since then he has grown into a great musician and entertainer.

I encourage everyone to go to the rodeo at least once in his or her life because it’s a unique experience. I mean riding rides at the carnival, eating funnel cakes and watching barrel racers isn’t an everyday thing for most people. I highly anticipate the rodeo every year and really enjoy it every time I go!

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Filed under Live Music, Reflection, Reviews, Texas