In Defense of Country Music

How many times have you heard someone say that they like all music EXCEPT country. They always gotta make it clear that they aren't into it. They probably didn't like it when they were young and never listened to it again. Country should get another chance. So I'll defend the genre with two points--not that it needs defending, nor will two points cover the gamut of reasons to enjoy it.

One -- The music is good.

I could find a great country riff for every good pop melody that someone could find. In fact, where did pop music get its format from anyway? Oh yea, good ol' country. And get "Mud on the Tires" going on in your head, and you'll be humming it all night long.

We don't get to hear full bands play much anymore. I know we got the Dave Matthews Band and such, but the pickings are real slim in most genres. Country is the home of the full band. And when I say full, I mean just about every instrument that you can scrap together. Most of the singers can play, and most of the musicians can sing. You want to hear talent, don't skip out on country.

Two - The Message

I defy anyone to try to present to me a genre with more positive music than country, other than religious music. I'd even say that country teaches you more life lessons than gospel music. Sure at church we here "you can make it, cause God's gonna solve your problems for you." But country will teach you that life won't always work out for you(There Goes My Life- Kenny Chesney). And that this moment is all you have, so you better make the best of it (Live Like You Were Dying- Tim McGraw). And listening to "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins can put things in perspective for you much better than any tranquility video or anger management course.

Country has always been about real life. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Most of us won't be driving ferraris. We'll probably just have a regular old car that acts up from time to time just to remind us that we're not rich. We don't all need to have our music artists rubbing it in our faces that we aren't as successfull as them. Sometimes you just need to hear the truth about this mysterious life that we're all experiencing.

There are many reasons to choose the type of music you listen to. Don't shut one out just because of what you heard from people or thought when you were eleven. You're older and smarter now. You can appreciate good music when you hear it.

So let's load up the pickup truck, get a few twelve packs, and head out to the middle of nowhere. Cause dammit, it's five o'clock somewhere and I need to make the best of the time I got.