{"id":5649,"date":"2015-10-12T22:58:01","date_gmt":"2015-10-13T03:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/?page_id=5649"},"modified":"2015-10-12T22:58:01","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T03:58:01","slug":"7-country-songs-that-went-too-far","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/the-history\/7-country-songs-that-went-too-far\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Country Songs That Went Too Far"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The evolution of sex in country music is parallel to the evolution of sex in American society throughout the 20<sup>th<\/sup> century. From songs about affairs to songs about exploring sexuality, this theme has remained controversial overtime. The acceptance of sexual themes in country music still continues to be heavily reliant on the acceptance of sexual themes in society.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>1. &#8220;Slippin&#8217; Around&#8221; Floyd Tillman (1949)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u1wRuY3Ap3U<\/p>\n<p>Written by: Floyd Tillman<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.7\">Post-WWII in America was an era that brought to light controversies surrounding the work place and family life. As soldiers began returning home in the 1940s, divorce rates were climbing. While some radio stations refused to play songs related to infidelity, Floyd Tillman came out with his controversial hit \u201cSlippin Around,\u201d a song about two people having an affair.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>2. &#8220;Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)&#8221; Tanya Tucker (1973)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"tanya tucker  Would you lay with me in a field of stone\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2kx4mr7WthY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Written by: David Allan Coe<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.7\">The sexual revolution period in America surfaced in the 1970s with the invention of the pill and implementation of sex education in schools. \u201cWould You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)\u201d was a song written by David Allan Coe and released in 1973. Although the lyrics \u201cIf my needs were strong would you lay with me \/ Should my lips grow dry would you wet them dear\u201d may not appear too suggestive to listeners, the <\/span><a style=\"line-height: 1.7\" href=\"http:\/\/tasteofcountry.com\/banned-country-songs-tanya-tucker-would-you-lay-with-me-in-a-field-of-stone\/\">song was deemed controversial <\/a><span style=\"line-height: 1.7\">when 15-year-old Tanya Tucker was the recording artist: that seems a little young to be singing about a woman\u2019s \u201cneeds.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>3. &#8220;You&#8217;ve Never Been This Far Before&#8221; Conway Twitty (1973)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"You&#039;ve Never Been This Far Before ( Conway Twitty )\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9V1fX-FvKW8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Written by: Conway Twitty<\/p>\n<p>Conway Twitty\u2019s \u201cYou\u2019ve Never Been This Far Before\u201d was banned from several radio stations in 1973. The lyrics \u201cAs my trembling fingers touch forbidden places \/ And as I taste your tender kisses \/ I can tell you\u2019ve never been this far before,\u201d were very controversial for their time, especially in the country genre. These songs only supported the fear society had of premarital sex, especially in teens, during the sexual revolution.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>4. &#8220;The Chair&#8221; George Strait (1985)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"George Strait - The Chair (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_Nh-NsqBsGE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Written by: Dean Dillon, Hank Cochran<\/p>\n<p>During the 1980s, many Americans began pushing for conservatism as Ronald Reagan took presidency. People wanted to resurrect the old-fashioned family values and shy away from sexual undertones. The 80s popularized artists like Randy Travis, George Strait, and Dolly Parton. These artists sang <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/1616495\/a-dozen-country-artists-from-the-1980s-to-rediscover\/\">lighthearted love songs<\/a> like George Strait\u2019s hit \u201cThe Chair.\u201d The simple lyrics \u201cWell, excuse me, but I think you\u2019ve got my chair \/ Oh, I like you too, and to tell you the truth that wasn\u2019t my chair after all\u201d allude back to chivalry with the idea of a man finding an excuse to have an innocent conversation with a woman instead of trying to take her home. The 80s tried to bring values back into country music.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>5. &#8220;Man! I Feel Like a Woman&#8221; Shania Twain (1997)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman! (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZJL4UGSbeFg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Written by: Shania Twain, Robert John Lange<\/p>\n<p>Female country artists became far more common in the 1990s. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/kelciewillis\/women-who-prove-90s-country-was-everything#.ch6GN9rndr\">90s was the women empowerment decade<\/a> for country music. Artists like Trisha Yearwood, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and Sara Evans rose to fame and expanded the female audience for country music. \u201cShe\u2019s in the Love with the Boy\u201d by Trisha Yearwood told a story of a young woman rebelling against her parent\u2019s wishes for a young love. Shania Twain sings about a woman\u2019s independence in \u201cMan! I Feel Like a Woman.\u201d The lyrics \u201cForget I\u2019m a lady \/ I want to be free to feel the way I feel\u201d defies the stereotypical pressure for a woman to \u201cact like a lady.\u201d Twain, and other country women, wanted all the ladies to know that they don\u2019t need no man to be happy by revolutionizing the portrayal of females in country music.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>6. &#8220;Burnin&#8217; It Down&#8221; Jason Aldean (2014)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Jason Aldean - Burnin&#039; It Down\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xdImDqbgc2g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Written by: Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Florida Georgia Line<\/p>\n<p>In the 2000s, American society started to become desensitized to sexual nuances in the entertainment sphere. Artists in every genre began pushing boundaries to see how much audiences were willing to accept before they were offended. This was especially seen in country music with the emergence of \u201cbro country.\u201d Artists like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Blake Shelton started referencing their manhood in songs about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/pinkmoose\/9-country-songs-about-having-sex-in-pick-up-trucks#.bhLQyz5415\">drinking, pick-up trucks, and one-night stands<\/a>. Instead of women rising above housewife stereotypes, as seen in the 90s, they were becoming portrayed as sexual objects of desire with the daisy dukes and cowboy boots trend. With songs like \u201cI Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes\u201d by Billy Currington, \u201cYour Man\u201d by Josh Turner, and \u201cFish\u201d by Craig Campbell, bro country was no longer subtly hinting but outright referencing sexual encounters. Jason Aldean took a huge risk with his recent song \u201cBurnin\u2019 it Down.\u201d Aldean\u2019s team was concerned with releasing such an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/style-blog\/wp\/2014\/10\/06\/jason-aldean-florida-georgia-line-and-the-evolution-of-sex-songs-in-country-music\/\">overtly sexualized song<\/a>, especially in the midst of his cheating scandal, and was afraid it would push boundaries too far and fail. Much to everyone\u2019s surprise, the single was a hit. America likes to talk about sex, and now people are becoming okay with that.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>7. &#8220;Follow Your Arrow&#8221; Kacey Musgraves (2014)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kQ8xqyoZXCc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Written by: Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves<\/p>\n<p>Kacey Musgraves made some bold statements in her song &#8220;Follow Your Arrow.&#8221; The song is filled with lyrics that don&#8217;t exactly agree with the norms and values of typical country music. With the lyrics &#8220;kiss lots of boys, kiss lots of girls, if that&#8217;s what you&#8217;re into. When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight roll up a joint&#8230;&#8221; Musgraves thought she would receive a lot of backlash from the song as it referenced gay rights and drug use. However, Musgraves received <a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/2014\/02\/07\/kacey-musgraves-follow-your-arrow-latest-sign-shifts-in-country-music\/\">less criticism than expected<\/a> because songs about these topics were becoming more common, especially in the pop genre. &#8220;&#8230;No matter what we should all be able to love who we want to love and live how we want to live,&#8221; Musgraves said. She crack opened the door to country music accepting these lifestyles.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Successful songs in country music almost always follow a trending topic. Throughout history, country has evolved as society has evolved. From the post-war past to the bro country present, the theme of sex has been addressed and molded to fit the values of society while still bordering controversy. As society accepts new trends, so will country music. Now more than ever, we will expect to be hearing new songs referencing sexual freedom.<\/p>\n<p>Elissa Killebrew<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The evolution of sex in country music is parallel to the evolution of sex in American society throughout the 20th century. From songs about affairs to songs about exploring sexuality, this theme has remained controversial overtime. The acceptance of sexual &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/the-history\/7-country-songs-that-went-too-far\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"parent":6,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5649","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5649"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5651,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5649\/revisions\/5651"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}