John Carruthers - Art and Entertainment Editor

Sometime’s it’s just hard to wake up on a Sunday morning. Things got a little out of hand Saturday night, and when I managed to open my crusty eyes, I saw that it’s already time to get up and shuffle down to The Beacon.

As I get ready, it hits me that Johnny Cash wasn’t playing around. “Sunday Morning Coming Down” is starting to make a lot more sense, mostly because my head aches, and I’m thinking of wearing dirty clothes to work (not the ones from the night before, just musty hamper clothes).

As this hits me, I figure that maybe a little country music wouldn’t hurt while I’m getting ready. I don’t yet have the coordination to use my CD player, so I turn on the TV and switch to CMT.

I’m not prepared for what I see.

What the hell? I thought this was supposed to be a country music channel. What happened to country music, what happened to all the outlaws?

When I wake up feeling less than stellar, I want to hear pain and anger, like they used to sing. There’s a thousand angry little Irishmen dancing a fiery jig at the base of my skull, and all I get for consolation is some girl singing about a broken road with a piano. Then, halfway through, I look at the TV and figure out that the lead singer of Rascal Flatts just sounds like a woman, and I’m really freaked out about what’s coming out of Nashville.

The feeling only intesifies as I hear song after song about some guy and his wife — always a generic suburban woman — and the “luuuv” they share. I think back to Johnny Cash’s “American I” and the line “if I hadn’t shot Delia, I’d have had her for a wife.” How did country go to crap so fast?

Not only that, but everyone on CMT seems to have lost their roots. Gone are the rugged men of yesteryear who fought back at whatever they thought oppressed them. Toby Keith would much rather spend four and a half minutes singing about why people who criticize America should be deported. Nothing says outlaw like a deep, unquestioning love for The Man.

Gone, too, are the rough and rowdy fighters, gunslingers and cowboys. In the video for “Live Like You Were Dying,” Tim McGraw is wearing a leather cowboy hat, a leather friggin’ cowboy hat. I’d like to see anyone else walk into a truck stop or country bar with that on and walk out without getting punched in the head.

Another fine example of the new school is a Kenny Chesney video I see, where he’s sporting J. Lo glasses and cutoff jean shorts while singing about the beach. Nothing says “bad-asssss” like a guy in designer sunglasses and booty shorts. That really says “country boy” to me. Imagine Waylon Jennings in cutoff jean shorts. That’ll give you nightmares, which is exactly the way it should be.

Once, the gods of country glorified whiskey, beer and moonshine. They talked about shooting, fighting and trucking. Now, they’re all singing about prissy beach drinks and lying in the sun. Either that, or picking up their kids from soccer in the mini-van. Where did the soul of country music go? I’ve heard it said that when the Opry moved to the suburbs, so did the spirit of country music. I don’t remember where I heard this, but I’m mighty inclined to believe it.

This kind of “wife, mortgage and 2.5 kids” crap just isn’t for me. If I wanted dull, boring reality, I’d go out and look around. When I listen to country, I want to hear about hardship and violence. The only thing violent about country today is the kind of sick that it makes me.

You can have your Nashville scene, full of tanning beds, pina coladas and faceless housewives. I’m going to order a PBR and a shot of Jack, listen to Hank Williams and think about how things used to be.

As I leave my room, Tim McGraw is back, offering me “drugs or Jesus.” I’m thinking drugs might be the way to go. They’ll help me forget.

http://dailybeacon.utk.ed...leid=16717

Somewhere along the line Country Music turned into watered down Southern Rock, without the balls! The lyrics have become trite stereotypes of what used to be an honest expression of a working man's life in America.

What I believe has happened in the music buisness (all generes) is that the buisness has taken over the music. In other words, the tail is wagging the dog. The only way this crap is ever gonna stop is if people stop buying it & start buying cds by real artists (again, all generes.)

I would suggest checking out some Bela Fleck, Sam Bush or Robert Earl Keen, don't settle for what's on the top 40.

MrRedbell said:

To me, the state of current Country Music is a sad affair. I grew up on Old School Courtry Artist like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Don Williams, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Dolly Pardon ,Tanya Tucker, Alabama. Now, I find country music sounds too damn pop and so its rare if I listen to country station now.

Hotlegs said:

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It is the same thing in RnB. No songs that the average working person can relate too. All the soulmen singing about their woman,Saturday Night and Partying are gone.

Just a lot of Dirty South nosense that the average person can't relate to.

Good article.Today's country & r&b are terrible.Time for Xm or Siruis.