This song addresses one of the burning questions of our day-- or at least one that, in certain circles, seems to generate a lot more heat than light: whether a lot of today's country music is "real" country or not. After doing some reading on the history of country music (and related types), I wrote this song, to add my two cents' worth to the discussion. It's intended to be played, for reasons that will probably be obvious, in a "Waylon Jennings" kind of style.
INTRO:
Some people say
That they don't like the way
Country music's been changing its tune;
And they'll argue all night
Over who has the right
To change how much, how fast, and how soon.
They want someone who still plays
Just like in the old days,
"So it sounds like a real country song."
But if you look back in history,
You'll see it's no mystery --
It's been changing its tune all along.
A1:
It was the first records, the first radio, that brought the first
big change;
And from then on, country music would never be the same.
That music came from Appalachia, Broadway tunes, and Delta
blues;
You could hardly count the sources of the music that they used.
It's never been that simple, it's been changing since day one,
'Cause this music don't play backwards -- the only way it goes
is on.
A2:
Through the '30's and the '40's, the Depression and the War,
Country music was going places it had never been before.
Then came the '70's, and the "Outlaws" found one more new place
to go --
Took country music to the kids who'd grown up on rock'n'roll.
Folks said, "This ain't real country" about each new
thing that was done,
But this music don't play backwards -- the only way it goes is
on.
BRIDGE:
"Cold and old" -- or "hot and new",
It don't matter, 'cause this train's gonna keep on rolling
through.
You can call it "countrypolitan"; you can call it "redneck
rock";
But if people want to hear it, it's going to the top.
A3:
Now it's the '90's, and country music's going all around the
earth;
And it's sure traveled far, and changed a lot, since the time of
its birth.
But if the music's sounding different from what it was just
yesterday,
Just remember, since it started, that it's always been that way.
You can say you liked the old stuff; you can say you miss what's
gone;
But this music don't play backwards -- the only way it goes is
on.
END:
No, this music don't play backwards -- the only way it goes is
on.
Questions? Comments? Please send e-mail to jbearden@ieee.org
Material Copyright © 1998-2003 by Jim Bearden