Converting the yet to be Converted

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My best friends sister, now a weekend DJ on local radio in Australia, dedicates here 4-hour show each week to strictly country music. I couldn’t understand it? How could a city slicker girl spend a few years in an Australian country town to study and come back? Then hate the city life enough to move north of Sydney and go on radio to promote country music… By making people listen to it?



Country and Western music is a niche genre in world terms; there are only a few countries, which give it time enough to produce. Australia is one but it has rarely seen complete nationwide success. Instead city folk more so ridicule it. I was one of them and probably still was until I reached the home of Country, Nashville, Tennessee.



Timing would have it I would arrive on Monday for 3 nights and even with those days of the week. This place is ready to party. Monday night would be one of my best Monday nights partying in 4 and a half years of travel (That’s around 200 Mondays internationally so that should give it some scale.)



The main drag is Broadway and it lights up at night like a little Nash Vegas. My mate’s sister Pal gave me some heads up on what to do, where to go and first stop off was Tootsies. Tootsies is a small intimate bar that stretches down a small strip of walkway from one stage to a second. Generally speaking they have stunning looking country girls as bar tenders and they are straight onto you even before they stand behind the bar asking what beer you want.



That is probably because they are in direct competition with the artists playing on stage as they too make most of their income from tips as well. I would have liked to have stayed there longer than just one drink but at $5 than a tip for one drink I had to find an alternative with the people I’d met from the hostel.



Tootsies is the must see of the bars because of its popularity and it’s a country music institution. The following day I saw Australian band the McClarmonts do a promo snippet at the entrance. I thought it was them but I wasn’t 100% sure since I don’t know my country music. I didn’t say anything just gawked at them until they went in their separate cars and drove off. (The 3 girls are really hot)



I hadn’t had a musical experience like this since nearly everywhere in Cuba. In Cuba you’d have a 7-8 piece band passionately sing and play to you in a bar even when there is just you and 3 other people. Nashville has those moments too.



Forced to go pub crawling to get a better deal. The bars ranged from packed, semi packed, to just the bar tenders and even when that happened, generally at around 1am- 3am, the bands still belted it out as if they were in front of a packed Grand Opry.



Our local turned out to be the cheapest nights drinking in the states yet and would be that way for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Just off Broadway on 2^nd Avenue is a bar called Big Shotz, which charged $5 for a plastic cup with a black texture cross on it to indicate that you now have a unlimited supply of beer until the keg runs out. Since it’s the start of the week that is until you’ve had enough.



Half way into my first cup Robert Parish got asked by a 50 year old Texan woman if he wanted to dance with her. Unawares, he takes my cup from my hand and says, “Yeah he likes to dance.” So within the first hour I’m dancing to Lynryd Skynyrd’s “Gimme 3 Steps” and on my way to liking country music live.



My efforts to understand country music has been a psychological battle and the major words that kept me going were Pal’s advice. She said to me just before I headed off for JP5 that “It’s the words that got to me. There is meaning to it. There is a wholesome truth about it.”



Driving by myself for the first month of this US road trip. I had some spare time to listen to the radio and it wasn’t until I hit Canada that I gave country music a real shot. That was the 2^nd week of the trip and before that I tried my best to switch the channel quick enough when country music came on.



That was because I wasn’t ready for country just yet. I thought once I hit Nashville and Texas that will be country’s time. But in North America it’s almost impossible to avoid it. Just an hour out of America’s big cities and you can be in staunch country areas. Take away some of the major cites like New York and LA most big cities are about 1 million people so farm land is not that far away.



I started giving in and with that, started listening to the words. From what I understand for me to like a song the first line is really important. If it’s a lame lyric I’ll take the piss out of it as soon as I can. So after listening to guys and their utes, filling up at the pump. I couldn’t really relate.



Relating is the problem, I don’t understand the land, the mischievous fun of carving my name on a tree trunk or doing burn outs or being a country boy - a bit mischievous with the ladies. I wasn’t that kind of guy. The only thing really I associate with is the occasional flirt with a girl but less often than a country singer sings about or filling up gas at a petrol station. And even then I’m paying about 5-10% more because I live in the city. So what! You only now just complaining about it?



There was a few songs I started to like but then I started to notice patterns like how Margaritaville gets a mention quite a lot and Alan Jackson’s song “I got a bug in my Margarita.” This helped me get through songs easier, trying to pick out the customary lyric.



The must see thing to do here is to go to one of 3 weekly shows at the Grand Opry. Summer has the shows in the 4400 seat Grand Ole Opry House a massive arena in Music Valley 10 miles from downtown. Whilst winter, which I was at is held at the Ryman Auditorium, which is where the Saturday night barn dance began in the 1930’s (Later to be called the Grand Opry). It’s a quaint little church converted to a theater. For a person that’s not into country it is the perfect location because it’s only a footstep to the bars on Broadway.



Unexpected on what we’d get we parked ourselves about 12 rows back and the first act just finished. An old guy starts chatting away (I have been informed his name is Eddie Stubbs, the authority on country music) promoting some sponsor and it turns out the show is on live radio. It was a turn back time couple of hours and there seemed a complete respect to the uniqueness of the evening.



A couple of Hall of Famers came out including little Jimmy Dickens He was something like 92 years old and as the crowd went berserk, he strained through the first song. I’m like ‘Ah great I know he’s a hall of famer but not what I was looking for to get me over the line of country.’ But then he started to chat between songs and come up with joke after joke and I started to gather what a country performer is about. They really do work the crowd; try to get that homely feel to their performance.



His best joke apart from getting a stiff neck from taking Viagra pills was when he introduced his next song. “This song is from my latest album… From 1963.” The old guy with a guitar the size of himself got a standing ovation.



The next Hall of Famer was Jean Shepard who started off with probably my favorite of the night. ‘Slipping away.’ She whacked in a few jokes too and finished off with a yodel in her song, ‘Second fiddle to an old guitar.’



It really does show a good variety of country music. As well as the older bunch they have the new up and comers. Randy Houser's song – ‘Boots on’ is a good one. They also had some country gospel (Del McCoury Band) with some deep voices.





The final act was Josh Turner who started off with a song called, ‘I wouldn’t be a man.’ With his arms stretched out whilst sitting on his chair. I thought country men were suppose to be big men who don’t show too much emotion. But this guy knocked that perception for 6. Lyrics like:

“I wouldn’t be a man if I didn’t feel like this.

I wouldn’t be a man If a woman like you was anything I could resist.

I’d have to be from another planet where love doesn’t exist…”



I thought this guys kidding himself. He’s too sensitive. Must be copping it from the guys back home and then he masculine’s it up a bit more with his already deep manly voice with an even deeper “No holding Back”.

Lyrics - “The secret way you touch me Tells me there’s (deep) No holding back… No holding back.”



The song finished and the females went off the charts. There was almost no dry panties in the crowd. If it weren’t for the short sets I’m sure they would have been thrown on the stage.



He had another song about ‘South Carolina Low Country’ with ‘Low’ said in a deep low. This lyric toward the end of the road trip became a substitute for the word “umm” or “Arrr” when a blank came to our head in conversation. Together with “No holding back.” And another song I’ll get to later.



The Grand Opry when you enter you have to give into the music. Accept you will be quiet for a while than put in a lot of clapping with the occasional “Whoa!” calls of encouragement.



On the verge of getting there to country music acceptance we moved onto the Country Music Hall of Fame the next day. In fact it’s almost impossible to not like country music once being at the Opry. Interestingly this would be my only music hall of fame I went to and it’s because I wanted to learn and appreciate.





The 3 floors start off with Chet Atkins - Certified Guitar Player - display. Chet is known as the architect of the Nashville Sound. His exhibition is on until June 2012. – He influenced country, rock and jazz guitarists with his “smooth and legendary finger-picking style.” I was informed. “By developing his own thumb and two finger picking style. “



His first hit in 1955 was “Mister Sandman” and recorded his own albums until the mid 1990’s. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973. He made collaborations with various artists including Australia’s Tommy Emmanuel. The album, ‘The day Finger Pickers Took Over the World.’ I will have to listen to.



The permanent exhibits are the beginning of country music from the churches. How the cowboy hat in movies implied the romance of the country lifestyle and changed the Hill Billy stereotype. It also gave some suggestions to listen to, which I have put on at the completion of this blog.





There was another exhibition covering the life and times of Hank Williams. I came here to get more inspiration to find more country artists to listen to. At times I realised shit I have this guy on my itunes and Hank was one. I didn’t know his history and it covers his early death in the back of his car traveling between gigs back on New Years Day 1953. It also featured his son and grandkids following in his country music tradition.





There were a few other things I learned whilst here. Johnny Cash had a daughter Rosanne that’s in the hall of fame. They have priceless memorabilia including an Elvis car and some outrageous costumes that artists wore in concerts.



Toward the end of the museum they have the highest honor for a country music artist and that is to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda. It has plaques of each inductee and a brief history about them. Not many groups are in the Hall of Fame it was nearly all solo artists minus – Alabama and a couple of others.



Brought about through a little extra knowledge and inspiration on hearing songs about having a bug in a guys Margarita whilst trying to drink away a woman he loved. Some guy talking about doing burn outs on the road with his truck and scratching his name on a tree leaving ‘Tattoos on this town.” And some guy who’s complaining about how petrol is costing too much. My mission was to discover a bit more about these songs and then through this knowledge build a connection with one song and belt it out at one of the karaoke bars at 2 in the morning.



I had one search and there was “no holding back”. No not Josh Turner but a Ronnie Dunn classic. We all have to give ‘props’ to travel buddy Robert Parish who has joined in thedribblemans enthusiasm for discovering country. I had mentioned Ronnie Dunn’s song ‘Cost of Living’ a few days earlier and during a channel change on the radio it came on.



The key lyrics are “Whatever! It takes” which is in a high pitched classic Southerner accent. And “$3 and change at the pump.” I just thought the song was about general cost of living being high “Cost of Livings high. And going up.”



But as the song finished there was a warning that this song is more deep than I anticipated. The DJ said “Well that just about sums it up right there now don’t it, Ronnie Dunn, Cost of Living.” We were in hysterics.



With that quote being repeated with gay abandon I Google searched the lyrics and video clip. And my piss take of the song turned full circle to a bit of guilt. Metaphor is big in the lyrics of country, they really talk about a reality and this was a true reference to life currently in America and especially in the east of Tennessee.



A small town called Union City was home to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. But on February 10 2011 the company announced it would be closing down the factory leaving 1900 people unemployed in a small town of east Tennessee.



Traveling America is for me one of the most fascinating experiences after traveling to most other regions this world has to offer. Not because of the sites, the scenery, the architecture of the big cities. They are all fantastic but seeing first hand the struggles of the no.1 nation in the world. It has added that extra bit of spice to put USA up there with my favourite countries in the world.



Traveling here provides such contrasts from the rich to poor. The land of opportunity, the home of capitalism and it is living on the edge. Talks of communism are on again in politics. Occupy Wall Street in every city. The average Joe Blow sees the rich is getting richer whilst the poor is getting poorer. No joke there is some resemblance to African life at times here.





Driving along the highways and the sights of people’s cars with rust all over the body, headlights broken. On the secondary highways you pass homes that are shacks, which I’ve seen in poor 3^rd world countries. Constant people begging saying “God Bless You.” When you say “No mate.” Poor roads compared to Europe and Australia (Actually with Chinese funds in Africa the main highways for the next two years in Africa are better than some US roads.)



The key topic at the moment is jobs - There is a feeling of being let down by the government from what I gather here. The belief is that if you are hard working you’ll get rewarded. But the government over the past decade has let them down. The Global Economic crises has created a mass loss of jobs leaving people unemployed or taking up anything to be employed.



Most places in the world you would only see teenagers and some young manager in most fast food outlets but not in America. There was a high number of older workers, maybe that is an initiative for semi retirees? It is an abnormal amount though.





The lifestyle in America is work, work, work after partying it up for 4-5 years at college and earning a massive debt. Holidays are two weeks a year and over time you gain more holidays the longer you are with the company. There is an acceptance on that like with tipping as long as there are jobs do whatever you want government. But now locals feel that the government is bickering and only putting themselves first for real.





Prior to arriving in Nashville I mentioned to Robert Parish that there is a country song you have to listen to about the cost of living being high. For the life of me I couldn’t find it on the radio and then on the day we were to arrive it came on. An instant hit it would last till the end of our Road Trip 5 weeks later when the radio announcer came up with this classic line when the song finished. I know I only typed it about 6 paragraphs ago but its too good not to mention again “Well that just about sums it up right there now don’t it, Ronnie Dunn, Cost of Living”



I have attached the lyrics at the bottom of this blog and it has it all. A country mans struggle, the customary comment about his truck and the best way to described things getting too expensive. A comment about petrol increasing. I originally took the piss out of it but in a thirst for more info and a desire to have this as my Karaoke song I clicked on Google and retrieved the official video clip.



There I was shocked to realise this is a real story of ­­­­people losing jobs, and now having to apply for a job that the rest of the town is basically applying for. All of a sudden country music had gained new meaning again.



If you look at the link that is provided below you will be able to listen to the song and hear the key lyrics for my Karaoke attempt, “Whatever it takes” and “$3 and change at the pump. The cost of livings high… and going up.” But I pretty much memorized the whole song.



3 weeks later we met up with 2 British girls we met in Nashville in Flagstaff and got a lift with some country guy trying to flirt with the girls. I asked him does he have the song Cost of Living by Ronnie Dunn? He puts it on and I ask him “Do you know what this song is about?” I’m not sure if he was taking the piss but he seemed pretty serious. “About how weed is getting more expensive?” He says. There was no laugh after or during his comment.



But that was a side issue because his version had “$4 and change at the pump.” It wasn’t until I hit Malibu and Beverly Hills I saw that price. Which suggests Country music’s pull in America (Another great song by Brantly Gilbert “Country must be Countrywide”) or Ronnie Dunn is just looking for longevity with his song. (Petrol cost $3 and then some for a gallon late in 2011.)





On the first night after Kick-Azz Kegz Party at Big Shotz bar. Myself, Robert Parish and the two British girls went Karaoke singing with one token Asian. The 3 nights the 4 of us went out, a different Asian traveler joined us. On this occasion it was a Thai guy who got into a couple of my songs. After a couple of songs I asked for Ronnie Dunn but his song was only new so instead I stuck to (what I classed before Nashville as) normal music. I left concluding that there will always be a next time Nashville.



There were plenty of great moments in Nashville including getting saturated by the rain on the way back to the hostel not once but twice. Being handed my beers with two hands by an angel behind the bar. Honestly when the bar ladies flirt with you to get a tip they really go all out. Not that I’m complaining. To when a band found out Parish and I were from Australia and offered to play AC/DC for $60. I got a piece of paper, stuck a $1 note on it and wrote the words in thick black texture, “ I owe you $60 (crossed out) $59 to play AC/DC.” Yep the place is one happy spirit.





As we drove south-east on Thursday toward Miami the radio changed its genre. No more were songs with true meaning and innocence. Instead of the mischievous guy singing about him flirting and getting girls when he was younger, now happily married. The lyrics turn to a dance pop song about the husband beating the shit out of the female singer and how she’s loving life.



It has taken all this time and a road trip around North America to eventually the home of country to finally get it. To finally understand the beauty which is country music. What a joke I have been. Years of poking fun at a music genre that actually has more meaning and lyrically artful more so than the crap that is on mainstream city radio. At last I have found a place for country music. I may not love it still but I have given it what the country life is all about, time and that was all I was asking for with this part of my trip.



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I have since been doing the rounds and received more advice as to some unknowns and other must listen to artists of the country music ilk. So here goes my advice to those people who are trying to get into the country music genre but can’t find the time. I’ve don’t the hard yards for you and it was a pleasure:



Thedribblemans playlist that got me into Country Music



What I liked and/or was on without fail each day on the radio

1) Cost of Living – Ronnie Dunn –

2) Josh Turner – I wouldn’t be a Man -

3) Josh Turner – South Carolina Low Country - This is live from the Opry the concert, which I was at.

4) Randy Houser – Boots On

5) Jean Shephard – Slipping Away

6) Jean Shephard – Second Fiddle to an Old Guitar

7) Lynryd Skynyrd’s - Gimme 3 Steps

8) Long Way to Go (I got a bug in my Margarita) – Alan Jackson - Unfortunately some links aren't working when I put it up to publish so please search for this one.

9) Country must be Country Wide – Brantly Gilbert

10) Miranda Lambert - The House that Built Me – She’s pretty hot

11) Kira Isabella - Love Me Like That – A new face of country music she’s Canadian, I was pre-gaming like a champion when this song came up.

12) Jason Alden – Crazy Town

13) Jason Alden – Tattoos on this Town

What the Hall of Fame suggested the general public would like:



14) O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack – I am a man of Constant Sorrow by The Soggy Bottom Boys -

15) – 16) Hank Williams – I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry or Jambalaya

17) Hank Williams Jnr and the Monday Night Football song

18) Ferlin Husky – Gone – Said to be the earliest instance of the Nashville Sound

19) Deford Bail – Pan American Blues – this is taken at the old Opry (the winter venue)



20) Boot Scoot Boogie - with our good friend Ronnie Dunn and some other guy called Brooks.

21) Chet Atkins – Mr Sandman

22) Chet Atkins and Tommy Emanuel

Great to take the piss out of



23) Country Boy – Aaron Lewis – This is classic Patriotic America to its core.

24) Jake Owen – Barefoot Blue Jean Night – How is this country?

25) The Band Perry - You Lie – listen out for the lyric about a Persian rug!!!

And just in case type in Ronnie Dunn Cost of Living Live at the Grand Opry the summer venue.



And here they are! The lyrics to cost of Livin’ so you can sing along at home.

Cost Of Livin' lyrics

Everything to know about me

Is written on this page

The number you can reach me

My social and my age

Yes I served in the army

It's where I learned to shoot

Eighteen months in the desert

Pourin' sand out of my boots

No I've never been convicted of a crime

I could start this job at any time.



I got a strong back

Steel toes

I rarely call in sick

A good truck

What I don't know

I catch on real quick

I work weekends

If I have to

Nights and holidays

Give you 40

And then some

Whatever it takes



Three dollars and change at the pump

Cost of livin's high and goin' up.



I put Robert down as a reference

He's known me all my life

We attend the same church

He introduced me to my wife

Gave my last job everything

Before it headed south

Took the shoes off of my children's feet

The food out of their mouths

Yesterday my folks offered to help

But they're barely getting by themselves



I got a strong back

Steel toes

I rarely call in sick

A good truck

What I don't know

I catch on real quick

I work weekends

If I have to

Nights and holidays

Give you 40

And then some

Whatever it takes



Three dollars and change at the pump

Cost of livin's high and goin' up.



I'm sure a hundred others have applied

Rumor has it you're only takin' five

I got a strong back

Steel toes

I'm handy with a wrench

There's nothing I can't drive

Nothing I can't fix

I work sun-up to sun-down

Ain't too proud to sweep the floors

Bank has started calling

And the wolves are at my door



Three dollars and change at the pump

Cost of livin's high and goin' up.



MY TEXAN CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS – I have provided the band or artsits name and that is all and a youtube link to give you an idea.



I by no means endorse all these suggestions.



Cooder Graw –



Crossroad Canadian Ragweed –



Pistol Annies – they look some good looking – so a link -

Casey Musgraves – I’m told this is real Texan Country by a modern star-

David Allen Coe – this guy has a nice confederate guitar -

Merle Haggar -

Randy Rogers – someone proclaimed they lost their virginity to this song a typical Texan Country -

Josh Abbot – Oh this is Texas -

Others who's link stuffed up

Wade Bowen -

Turnpike Troubadours -

Stoney La Rue – This is live at Billy Bobs in Fort Worth Texas a venue I’d get to a month later

Ryan Bingham -



*** My mates sisters radio show is on from 10am-2pm Saturdays with Saturday Sessions with Pal. It's on digital radio just look for Great Lakes FM 101.5 In NSW Australia and who knows if Pal plays her cards right a cameo effort from me to countdown these beauties could happen.***




### I have had some problems with some links and it appears it will not work. Apologies but you'll have to search yourselves.

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Comments

[Pal]

Yeeehaaaw!
Sounds like a great experience. The Dribblemans country countdown will be bigger than the Triple J Hottest 100!