I was born in northern Nevada and transplanted to Seattle, Washington early on. My mother, two sisters, and I would go back and forth during the holidays between the two, which meant we had hours to listen to music as we swerved through mountain passes and sprawling, beige fields of sage grass. There was a mix of 1990s Sade and Tracy Chapman, with a swing to The Chicks and Brooks & Dunn once we crossed the Nevada line. All in all, it was a musical whiplash that informed by spatial awareness as to what was urban and what was rural.
As I matured and grew older, the road trips ceased, but my attachment to country music -- the sound, the vocals, the metaphors, and the lyrics -- remained strong. It was a refuge from the noise of Berkeley, and concocted vivid scenic images that evoked a sense of calm and peace amid the clamor of tightly wound college students and activists on megaphones. So, when reflecting on what "rural" means, the type of music that permeates across country music stations is an insight both to the pace and sound of rural America and the livelihoods of those that write and listen to it.
Who country music speaks to has changed over time, as more and more artists try to break into the mainstream. This has meant that country music itself has changed to reach larger audiences. Taylor Swift is a recent example of an artist who has "ditched" her country roots and made a bee-line toward pop. From songs like "Tim McGraw" and "Our Song," to pop anthems like "Look What You Made Me Do" and "Style," Taylor Swift shows how country music is often viewed as a sound that cannot sustain popularity in larger, urban audiences. The stories, images, and rhythms don't resonate with listeners who are used to the hustle and bustle of city living and the musical rhythms it reflects. So, I would argue that music is a window into the distinct cultures of rural and urban communities, and country and bluegrass music informs the livelihoods of those in more remote rural spaces.
History is important when considering what many would identify as "authentic" country music. Nostalgia plays a role in defining what country music is, as artists like Patsy Cline and Roy Orbison have vocals and instrumentalities that evoke a timeless yet aged reference for the kinds of songs that are associated with more rural spaces. Part of this is a result of the demographics of rural populations. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 19 percent of U.S. rural areas are 65 years or older. Further, rural counties make up nearly 85 percent of the 1,104 "older-aged countries" (i.e., those with more than 20 percent of their population age 65 or older). As a result, country music both then and now tends to preserve the rhythms, beats, and vocals of the music from the 1960s and 1970s. This helps define the timelessness that is typically associated with rurality.
Beyond time, the images artists in country music invoke are often exclusively understood and appreciated by those in rural spaces. It can speak to both the scenery and the personal experiences that individuals in rural areas navigate. Hits like "Boot Scootin' Boogie" and "Neon Moon" from Brooks & Dunn offer insights into this. In "Boot Scootin' Boogie," lines that "out in the country past the city limits sign" and "it's where all the cowboy folk go to boot scootin' boogie" speak to a reprieve from industrial and urban spaces. It also invokes the image and mythology of the "cowboy" that is frequently associated with rural and frontier areas completely removed from any form of urban life.
The image of a "cowboy" has been reinforced in other songs like "Cowboy Take Me Away" by The Chicks in which the iconic trio dream of life away from city living:
I wanna skip and not fall
I wanna look at the horizon and not see a building standing tall
I wanna be the only one for miles and miles
Except for maybe you and your simple smile ...
Cowboy take me away
To some, this reflects how the remoteness of idyllic, rural areas allow people space and security from the suffocation of city-scapes. The desire to retreat to what is known and safe is inherent in country music. It speaks to environments that allow people to unwind from the turbulence of urban settings. Overall, these songs and those like them suggests that what is fundamental to rurality is safety in the remote, and comfort in the scenic vistas.
In contemporary country music, many artists have moved away from musing on scenic locations and have shifted focus to the archetypes of rurality. Kacey Musgraves' "Merry Go 'Round" demonstrates what many would suggest is stagnancy in rural living. In it she explores what some would term "white trash" living, often signified by trailer parks and the cycles of poverty and "tradition" that often trap people in rurality:
So we hold on to high school love
Say we won't end up like our parents
Tiny little boxes in a row
Ain't what you want it's what you know
Musgraves offers a look into the realities of living in rural areas that are not defined by painted landscapes. It's where what is known and what is safe clash. She identifies the lack of choices available to people in rural communities who are trapped either by poverty or tradition. Overall, this song and others like it show how rurality is not always a resort of remoteness and security. It can be a confining space where the opportunity to leave is restricted, creating tension between wanting to retreat to rurality and being trapped in it.
Conclusively, country music is a window into the stories and images that permeate throughout rural communities. From exalting idyllic scenic spaces to telling the stories that pervade rural communities, country music is something that resonates within the spaces that it originates. It is unique among genres in that it is one of the few that is immediately associated with a place and the people in that space.
6 comments:
God, this post takes me back. I too reminisce about listening to The Chicks with my mom. Of course the windows were down (our car didn't have air conditioning), the music was blaring, and the corn fields and cows could hear us serenading them with our off-pitch screaming. The notion of timelessness and romanticization is so evident in country music, and yet I never put the pieces together as to why it made me feel so homesick. I think of songs like Tim McGraw's "Where the Green Grass Grows." Lyrics such as, "I'm gonna live where the green grass grows; Watch my corn pop up in rows; Every night be tucked in close to you; Raise our kids where the good Lord's blessed; Point our rocking chairs towards the west; Plant our dreams where the peaceful river flows; Where the green grass grows ... ," shape my ideology of the future I want to this day. I always theorized it was a product of my traditional upbringing, but the musical enforcement definitely magnified this yearning for a "simple life." Particularly as music is such a large factor of what defines and shapes culture. However, I find myself also strongly relating to Kacey Musgrave's "Merry Go 'Round." This song is actually what prompted my move to California, but being away and experiencing a different lifestyle is what makes me want to go back. Now, I find myself tearing up at songs such as Jason Aldean's "Fly Over States" and longing to be back home, unashamed in finding "safety in the remote, and comfort in the scenic vistas."
I wonder if this is a chicken and egg situation where those that find that peace and serenity in the "country" way of living like to listen to music that romanticizes it, further romanticizing it. As explained in "Should Americans turn to rural America for moral guidance?" (a prior blog post), rural America has some major imperfections in its character. Prior class curriculum has also evidenced that many living in rural America know and are quick to talk about the flaws. However, with that knowledge, its not uncommon for people to still choose to live there. This poses the question: are rural residents romanticizing the "country" lifestyle, or have they done a subconscious cost/benefit analysis and truly prefer it?
Wow, this post really spoke to me! When I ask people what kind of music they like, the most common response I hear is, “anything but country.” While I totally understand why other people don’t vibe with the genre, rhythmically, thematically, or otherwise, I had never interrogated why I do resonate with country music, beyond attributing it to growing up listening to it in a rural town. Your articulation of the ways in which country music simultaneously evokes the desire to withdraw to “safety in the remote” and “comfort in the scenic vistas,” while also speaking to a sense of confinement rooted in poverty and tradition was enlightening – and honestly, beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
This was a really thoughtful post! I am wondering, how do you think, with this idea that country music is (at least attempting to be) authentic to the rural experience, that listeners and fans feel about those country artists who don’t have “country roots?” It seems like, regardless of their place of birth or raising, country artists often have a very clearly southern accent in their music. However, for many this is a façade (Taylor Swift included in her debut era days). This in itself seems like enough to break the authenticity factor. However, maybe there is simply too much of an equation between “country” and “southern,” as opposed to the more realistic connection you made, between “country” and “rural.”
Thank you for this post! I think about "Merry Go 'Round" often when sitting in LRL class. You hit the nail on the head--it captures the stagnant feeling of being left behind from economic development that a lot of rural communities experience. This line hits especially hard for me: "just like dust we settle in this town." Music is so important in the way that it both reflects and shapes culture. Great post!
Also, you managed to pick all of my favorite country artists: old Taylor Swift, the Chicks, and Kacey Musgraves. All you're missing is a little Dolly!
Aw, Christian, this was such a beautiful & thoughtful post. I don't really listen to country music much but I love Cowboy Take Me Away. It's so beautiful & romantic. I don't know why but it has always spoken to me even though I don't really enjoy being outdoors. I also think it's interesting that there is strong connection between authentic rurality and authentic country music. I feel like there is a similar connection in hip-hop between the music being authentic and the artists being from low-income/hood/"street" backgrounds.
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