How embarrassing. I am starting to like country music. Not only have a set one of the stations in my car to 101.5 FM – I actually turn to it sometimes when I am tired of NPR. This is largely because of a general characteristic of country music songs which my wife first pointed out to me.
Most country music songs tell a story.
Think about it. How many country music songs tell – in some form – a story?
“Where were you when the world stopped turning?” That was the last song before I arrived at the church this morning. Is it cheesy and sentimental? Sure. But it tells the story of September 11 and the various ways that people reacted or responded.
“You’re gonna miss this some day”. About what it is like to watch your children grow up. I happen to rather like this one. But then I am a parent and remember well what it was like to pace back and forth in our apartment in the wee hours of the morning wondering when this crying baby would ever get back to sleep. Strangely enough – I miss those days.
That “Love Story” song by Taylor Swift that drives me up a tree. But it tells the story of a young man courting a young woman and how eventually they can get married.
And so on.
Even when the story is about betrayal or getting drunk or broken relationships – there is a story. Something happens. It reflects real life and real situations that real broken human beings face. Therein we find glimmers of providence and grace.
There are exceptions – and these are worth noting. My kids sometimes watch country music videos on CMT. Have you noticed and heard that popular song “Wild at Heart” by “Gloriana”? Basically about going out with your buds and getting wild and that cute girl does not want you to stop at kissing.
Uh… what?!?
There is no story here that I can tell.
I am not prepared to say “songs with stories are good – those without are bad”. Nor am I quite able yet to articulate why this makes a difference. But is that not part of criticism – in the good sense of the word? Look at art music dance drama literature and so on and being able to look carefully at what is there? and to understand why some art seems more enjoyable/meaningful/powerful?
Compare this to much of what passes for “popular music” – which I can no longer stomach much at all. (And unfortunately this applies to much of “classic rock” which I do and still enjoy.)
