Country Twang

I never used to be a big country music fan. I used to like R&B and Pop, but now can't stand the sound of it. I hear that Lady Gaga is great and I say, "Lady who???". Makes me feel old actually.

I find it cleaner, less angry, and just a lot more relaxing to listen to.

I would rather be listening to the "local" Christian music station, because contrary to popular belief, Christian music is actually awesome! But I can't. The "local" station is taped in Washington, and the reception here is AWFUL. Especially anywhere with power lines, like the entire freeway. Which is the only place I listen to music anymore.

So I stick on my cowgirl hat and listen to JRFM.

I heard a few months back on a non-country station (must have been News 1130, all news all the time radio, which is my 2nd favourite station) that the genre of music with the most reference to sex, drinking, drugs and illegal activity is not rap or rock, but good ol' COUNTRY! Ever since, I've been paying extra attention to the lyrics and I do agree, and switch the station as to not sing along with songs that are talking about one-night stands. I just don't need that.

However, it is my station of choice and have really grown to love most of the songs.

One thing though, that drives me absolutely nuts about country music is the artist's inability to rhyme. Not every line has to rhyme, so please don't try! But SO many artists just change the annunciation of the word so that it sounds like the un-rhyming word they're trying to pair it with.

Take this song by the Steve Miller Band, for example. See if you can twang the last word in each line to make them rhyme with each other, go ahead, say it out loud:

This heres a story about billy joe and bobbie sue
Two young lovers with nothin better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose

(and my favourite non-rhyming verse)

Billy mack is a detective down in texas
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
He aint gonna let those two escape justice
He makes his livin off of the peoples taxes

Could you do it? They need a rhyming dictionary. And a grammar lesson.