Country Music Research Paper

All of these tended to have a major reoccurrence in all of the songs. The question I can now answer is how does country music play a role into the fears and dreams of the listeners. In the lyrics there is a certain kind of language that the artists use to try and capture an image in the listener’s head. In society, “Language gives mean to the people, objects, events, and the ideas of our lives. If fact, language reflects and often determines reality” (2015; 30).

Charlie Pride did it in 1971. Darius Rucker did it in 2009. That’s it. Two black men, spanning thirty-eight years, are the only black artists to win a Country Music Association Award. With country music rooted in bluegrass and rhythm and blues, why aren’t there more black country music stars? When considering the roots of country music, and how closely related country is to blues, bluegrass and honky tonk music, an examination of what happened to all the black musicians seems warranted, no? This paper examines the dearth of black artists in country music and the careers of one of the few black artists who has had commercial success in this genre of music.

Love is not just a word but an action. Country music is mostly based on a cowboy falling in love with a cowgirl. Good Directions was written about a young cowboy finding love at first sight with the girl of his dreams in his little hometown, where his mother owns a little country store.

Johnny Cash said it best, “Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a lot of territory, country music does.” Country music is everywhere, blasting from a lifted truck, a store, or a local bar, ranging from Classical country to Pop country. Country music is not just words written down on a piece of paper, they are more than that. The artists can write songs that most people can relate to. Alan Jackson and Luke Bryan are both very known country singers, but are different when it comes down to managing their careers.

George Harvey Strait was born and bred in the Texas cowboy tradition. He came into the world on May 18, 1952 in Poteet, Texas (“Strait Facts”) and was raised in nearby Pearsall, TX on his family's working cattle ranch, a legacy in the family for over 100 years. His childhood was spent working with his father and brother on their farm, and he carried on the ranching tradition by studying agriculture at Texas State University (Dickinson). In 1971, he married his wife, Norma, and shortly after enlisted in the United States Army.

I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the heart and soul of country music. There is so many activities to partake in and sites to see! The Country Music Hall of Fame is one of the most popular attractions. There you may find artifacts and information on all of countries biggest stars. Another famous attraction is the Ryman Auditorium! This famous venue is known to be the place where bluegrass was born. Many famous performs have played here including Johnny and June Carter. Many reviews often say there is not a bad seat in this auditorium.

Many country music songs are about family and the small things in life that are most important such as love and friendship. Unlike Rap music, country music is more calming and is something that the whole family can listen to without having to worry about explicit words or vulgar stories being portrayed through the lyrics. Another thing that country music artist do a great job at is creating their songs so that they are very easy to relate to and that its not all about the money or cars. I believe that country music also focuses more on the harmony aspect for the elements of music, which gives it a more peaceful feel to the songs and something that you can listen to in the car on your way home from work. However, I also believe that Country music does a wonderful job on telling stories through their songs just like rap music does and the only difference between the two is what the stories are

Music is an important staple of my culture, two big genres include; Country and Southern Rock. Every culture has its own musical styles that represent them. “Music has always been an important cultural element in Southern culture” or any culture for that matter. (Butler, 41). Even know I personally don’t like Country or Southern Rock it’s important to my culture. When I ride with either of my parents, Southern Rock and Country is always blaring from the speakers. When I was growing up I remember hearing “Sweet Alabama” playing. Both of my parents loved singing along with. The song “Sweet Home Alabama” is a song about Southern pride.

"Country has become a bigger umbrella. It’s good and bad. Country has become too homogenized and too commercial. It has lost what makes it special. It’s great that it’s popular, but then it starts to become watered down. Country music is the song that speaks to the American condition. It’s middle America. Eight out of 10 people. Maybe it’s not the No. 1 choice, but they listen to country. Consistency, as well. In the 1980s, it was all about rock and roll, and it died. Guns N’ Roses is still on top because their throne hasn’t been challenged."

Though country music has been around since the 1920’s and has constantly been changing over time and still continues to change today, the newest sound has come from Troyal Garth Brooks, better known as Garth Brooks (Garrett). Garth Brooks was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Yukon, Oklahoma (Schuster). While for most of his life he was considered an athlete even went to Oklahoma State University on a full ride track scholarship, he did know how to play music being thought to him by his father (Schuster). After finishing at Oklahoma State University he would head Nashville to try and break into the world of country music (Schuster). After signing with Capital Recorders, we would become the popular throughout Country music and would rise to fame (Schuster). With Brooks being known for starting a new trend in country music. Garth Brooks paved a new way into country music, to creating a new group to listen outside the normal crowd, crossing over into the pop music (Schuster). He created his signature vocal style with fun, up-tempo, to

When looking at country music from the early 20th century, to what it is today there has been some change but most of the concepts have stayed the same. Much of the country from the early times had music about religion, or hardships that were being faced. This is the same as in the present, there are many songs about turning to religion to find hope. There are also the instruments that are used, the bajo, and other stereotypical country instruments are still used to today. This sound that they have, and that these instruments make are what really categorize the music as country. The sound of country has been modified but the underlying sounds have stayed the same, and the messages that are being sung about have been consistent throughout time. This shows that country is very much like its older counterpart with a few modern changes that are made.

The lyrics of the songs are fitting with the times. Country songs in this decade are very traditional but with a new twist. Some songs will sing about the good ole’ days, religion, loves, lost loves, families and simpler times. Also lyrics to these new songs are very racy and provocative as well. A good example of this is Justin Aldean “Burning it Down” some of the lyrics “ You slip your finger through the tear of my t-shirt, you stirrin’ up dirty in the back of my mind”, “laying right here naked in my bed”.

Many people would say that Appalachian music is American and is natve to American. There is some truth to this notion, there is however a significant influence from outside America. Proior to the 1750 discovery of easier acsess

“Hillbilly music is an American popular music that was commercially broadcast and recorded between 1922 and 1942 and that eventually evolved into modern country music and the regional genres of western swing, honky-tonk, and bluegrass”( Huber 19). Southern textile workers played a significant role in the evolution of this genre of America’s popular music. Examining the vital role of Piedmont textile workers in the creation of hillbilly music offers new understanding of this music. Writers have long portrayed hillbilly musicians as tradition-bound rural southerners who came of age in the country-side and mountain-hollows, often isolated from or less influenced by the main currents of modern urban life and mass culture. People were so use to this music that they remembered this music by

In Randy Houser’s song “My Kinda Country” he talks about why he loves country and tells about his experiences and what he does to the area. The theme of the story is his perception on the country life and what he does at nights or days in the country area. He is a country artist that makes good, catchy and with a hyped up tone to it. His theme is sang throughout the song with rhyming similes and metaphors.