Friday, February 29, 2008 Delen: Country Music 2 By Annie Delen Jaded Mind
LAST time, I wrote about my love for country music.
As fate would have it, one Anthropology student from University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman asked me about the fascination of "highlanders" -- and I use the term loosely -- with country music.
I wasn't an expert on the topic so I referred him to the country music station of my choice -- 99.9 F.M. naturally.
And before I get lynched for playing favorites, let me remind everyone that this is a free country.
I do not know if he got to go there to interview some of the "old timers" (nothing to do with age mind you) like the "mellow man." This left me with a nagging question, which has plagued me over the weekend.
True, I already wrote about the reasons why I liked country music but what about the rest of the population of country music lovers that live in and around the city. And I refuse to believe that Nick Daniels is the only reason why people tune in to Magic 99. Peace man.
So I observed my resident country music expert -- our nephew Arnel.
He can sing so it really isn't a surprise to hear him suddenly belting out a country melody around the apartment.
Heck, he's got three guitars lying around, not to mention copies of his favorite country songs.
It must have been on the second day of observation when the answer hit me full blast when I heard him sing "say exactly what you feel. This time you're free to say it all. There is no one here to judge you." Eureka!
Country music is popular and continues to be (at least in this part of the archipelago) because in this world of double speak; this is one music genre that keeps the metaphors to the minimum.
Oh sure, we still need to read between the lines once in a while like in the case of a song which goes "if I said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me" and "Room at the top of the stairs" but by and large popular country songs go directly to the point.
If you disagree then you haven't heard a line of "Achy Breaky Heart" yet.
The ironic thing is American humorist Lewis Grizzard (God Bless his hilarious soul) decried the declining quality of western songs (that should give you a clue about his generation) because of the second song.
He wrote about western (country) music and its effect on his life and countless others in his book entitled "Elvis is Dead and I Don't Feel So Good Myself".
One of these days, I hope to share more about this unorthodox and most certainly irreverent funny man from Moreland, Georgia of the US.
For now, let's stick to Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Collin Raye, Alan Jackson and company.
For the past years, these singers and their ilk have taken the world by storm. (Check record sales) Their songs have been played over and over again because they say exactly what they mean.
True, this revelation may not be shared by all. Some are probably only slumming for all I know but hey, what explanation is there? After all, the minute we wake up we are already bombarded by double speak.
Ever heard of the sentence "Everything is under control." It's the most relevant example of double speak and mind you, it applies to almost every situation imaginable.
So call me a country bumpkin for all I care, at least I don't have to wade through chest deep metaphors before I can understand a song.
