Oh, what controversy those two words spark! :) I can only help but smile at the competition between those who love country and those who hate it, but it seems for the most part, you're either one or the other ;)
I love country music! Honestly, I do: the good, old-fashioned, wholesome country music!
Let me explain:
My truck's CD player is broken. (It's my fault, inadvertently, but that's beside the point). Since it is broken, I cannot listen to my CD's, and have reverted to the radio. I love me some K-Love and Moody Radio, but I do love country, so I have channel-serfed searching for a good station. Once in a while, I come across a song that I like. But for the most part, they depress me.
Why?
Because, 97% of the country songs that come through my speakers have one-track mind subject matter: girls' bodies. Seriously? That is NOT country. I don't care how "hot", "sexy", etc. she was: what is she like? What are you like? (And based on the song you're singing, I wouldn't keep my hopes up about your character strength.)
It's all about feel-good-now, in-the-moment, all-about-me stories in these "country songs". Just to clarify, that is NOT what I call country. Oh, no... there's a whole slew of true, down-to-earth, wholesome Country Music.
My favorite country artist is Paul Overstreet. (Go ahead and google him, you've never heard of him, I am sure! :)
His songs are good! They tell a story, paint a picture, speak a truth.
For example, in his album, "Sowin' Love" from the song "Love Helps Those", he tells a story, with the chorus speaking the truth,
"Love helps those/ who cannot help themselves/ It cares about those hearts/ That have been put up on the shelf/ It'll introduce a lonely soul/ To a lonely someone else/ Yes, Love helps those/ Who cannot help themselves."
He has a sense of humor, seen in his songs, "Dig Another Well", "When Mamma Ain't Happy". He speaks life-truth, like in the song, "The Toughest Battles."
This, my friends, is Country Music! :)
Some of my other favorite songs, in case you were curious...
"John Deere Green"
"Just Another Day in Paradise"
"She Supports Her Man"
"Billy Can't Read" (my dad had this one on cassette tape and would play it in the garage while working on cars; he played it until the tape wore out! ;)
"Walk a Little Straighter, Daddy"
"Steady Workin' "
"Heroes"
"She's In Love With The Boy"
"Dig Another Well"
"Lost and Found"
And so many more!
Could I just start a station of my own and play these kinds of songs??
So, I apologize to all of you who hate country based upon what you hear on the radio today. There is another side to Country Music ;)