# The Country Music Challenge Thread



## Badfish740 (Oct 31, 2013)

Pretty simple really. Post a video of a song that does not contain any of the following words, combination of words, or phrases anywhere in the lyrics:

Tractor
Barn
Tailgate
Shine
Moonshine
Jacked up
Mud tires
Pickup
Pickup truck
Skoal
Skoal ring
Boots
Jeans
Ball cap
John Deere
Beer
Redneck
Any reference to Hank Williams Sr. or Jr. (Unless the song is _by_ Hank Sr., Jr., or III)
Backwoods

I'll start:













Here's a song that technically violates the rules, but it's to prove a point:



The point is that despite what Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton, and Florida Georgia Line have done to country music these days (and what others have done before them-this is nothing new) there's still good stuff out there if you're willing to look. There's still country music that is "Three chords and the truth," that is, songs about life, the good, bad, and the ugly. The reason "Sunday Morning Coming Down" still fits even though it contains one of the new "buzzwords" is because the song uses it in a context that illustrates the desperation of a burned out alcoholic struggling to face another day. Not some kid sitting on a "tailgate" in the "backwoods" telling us how country he is because he likes "cold beer." Post some of your favorite songs and share some of your favorite country singers with others who want to hear more country music that's about real life, not some sanitized, idealized version that involves some endless bonfire party back in the woods


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## NW Walker (Oct 31, 2013)

My current fav is Sturgill Simpson, and his old band Sunday Valley.  Real as it gets.


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## stoveguy2esw (Oct 31, 2013)

or any song by this genious

back in the day when i wore the green suit i actually used to sing this on road marches, got rave reviews as it was a ditty that had a good rythem, wasnt meant to be racist and was accepted by all who marched with me







or this one;


i can get modern as well if ya want 

   reba, the sitting queen of nashville

or    by sugarland

ok back to the old school


and one of my favs of alltime, the greatest country /western song of all time


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## fossil (Oct 31, 2013)




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## stoveguy2esw (Oct 31, 2013)

videos aside i believe the OP is correct , i hate a lot of the "cookie cutter" country being performed thee days, i prefer the "pure" country we get mostly from the past.

that said there are some in today's generation that still follow the calling of pure country music at least they produce music of that type


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## BrotherBart (Oct 31, 2013)

Every song ever recorded by George Strait. 

(That should send youtube traffic nuts looking for one that did)


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## Dix (Oct 31, 2013)

And, my fave


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## BrotherBart (Oct 31, 2013)

My neighbor says he will never go to a concert with a guy wearing $5,000 worth of clothes playing a $10,000 guitar with a million dollar set singing about hard times. 

To quote Merle: "I don't think Hank done it that way."


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## Dix (Oct 31, 2013)

Almost for got


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## stoveguy2esw (Oct 31, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Every song ever recorded by George Strait.
> 
> (That should send youtube traffic nuts looking for one that did)




good luck to em, i own a lot of GS finding one with the "bad words" isnt gonna be easy.

of course you can find a bunch of em in david allen coe's  "you never even called me by my name"

the insipid writing of the dumb is flooding the airwaves , songs that include lyrics that suggest a guy got laid by having atruck with big tires and a spit cup in the seat (yeah it exists and was apparently popular) is pretty exemplifying of how far country music has tumbled from the genious of past singers like jones, hag, walyon and george strait, johnny cash and the like. its really a shame. you have to wonder what possum would say thinking about "who's gonna fill their shoes" with this trash being played these days


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## BrotherBart (Oct 31, 2013)

Steve Goodman actually wrote the song Mike. Coe is a bigoted piece of crap. Here is Steve singing his song.


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## DevilsBrew (Nov 1, 2013)

Skoal!  Lol.  Oh my gosh I am laughing so hard right now.  Yeah, I hate "modern" country music.  I prefer the bluegrass offshoots and indies.  The real musicians.


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## DevilsBrew (Nov 1, 2013)

Can't decide what to post.  I'm getting ready to practice so I will go old school.


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## DevilsBrew (Nov 1, 2013)

I lived in Texas for a short time but it had a huge influence on the style of music that I listen to.  Here is a classic.  Going old school again.


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## DevilsBrew (Nov 1, 2013)

"Well kiss my ass, I bought a boat, I'm going out to sea"


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## Delta-T (Nov 1, 2013)




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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 2, 2013)




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## BrotherBart (Nov 2, 2013)




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## DevilsBrew (Nov 2, 2013)




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## aussiedog3 (Nov 3, 2013)

A couple of years ago some one on the hearth turned me on to James McMurtry.  Thank you so much.  Love his music and got to see him once in Chicago.
Also found Chris Smither on youtube while watching James McMurtry videos on youtube.  Love his music even more and also got to see him at the City winery in Chicago in September.


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## DevilsBrew (Nov 3, 2013)

Chris Smither!  I thought I was the only person that liked him.  Is this the same Chris Smither?


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## stoveguy2esw (Nov 4, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Steve Goodman actually wrote the song Mike. Coe is a bigoted piece of crap. Here is Steve singing his song.






well, not a "coe" fan, i just knew he had done it so thats why i referrenced him


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## BrotherBart (Nov 4, 2013)

stoveguy2esw said:


> well, not a "coe" fan, i just knew he had done it so thats why i referrenced him



Yeah it was the first song I thought of when I saw the thread too.


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## stoveguy2esw (Nov 4, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Yeah it was the first song I thought of when I saw the thread too.


 
actually i though of a relatively recent song with a guy who was extolling the fact that he picked up chicks because his truck was so tall, admonishing the chick to be careful not to spill his "spit cup"

i agree with the OP, there are some modern elements of country music today that are simply unenjoyable to listen to at all. some of the new stuff aint so bad, but a lot of it is simply lousy


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## DevilsBrew (Nov 4, 2013)

I am a groupie.


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## aussiedog3 (Nov 4, 2013)

DevilsBrew said:


> Chris Smither!  I thought I was the only person that liked him.  Is this the same Chris Smither?



 Yep!  Same guy.  If you have not seen him live, do yourself a favor and get out to see him.  A legend that nobody has heard of.  A man with a killer voice, awesome songwriting, mad guitar skills and a microphone on his feet.  Love his recent music but also love old stuff like "Slow surprise" and the music that he covers.


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## MishMouse (Nov 5, 2013)

A couple of good ones:





A good place to hear good music is RFD-TV on Saturday nights.
Classic Country, Bluegrass, and Polka.
Or on Sundays at 6:00 PM EST HeeHaw


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## Badfish740 (Nov 6, 2013)

stoveguy2esw said:


> actually i though of a relatively recent song with a guy who was extolling the fact that he picked up chicks because his truck was so tall, admonishing the chick to be careful not to spill his "spit cup"



That song was one of the last straws for me...  Utter crap.  It also is illustrative of the "Hank Williams" name drop so prevalent these days.  Artists think that by mentioning one of the Williams' or one of their songs its some of kind of instant credibility 



stoveguy2esw said:


> i agree with the OP, there are some modern elements of country music today that are simply unenjoyable to listen to at all. some of the new stuff aint so bad, but a lot of it is simply lousy



The problem with most of the songs is that they are glorified lists:

I chew tobacco
I drive a truck
I own a gun
I drink whiskey
And so on and so on...

Or they're just a retelling of last nights bonfire party out in the woods where everybody sat on the tailgate of their jacked up truck and drank cold beer for the three millionth time.  There's also the sappy love songs that are overproduced and just bland. However, you do have current artists who tell stories-actual stories, not "Last night we went out to edge of town and raised hell."  Again...  A few examples of new songs that tell stories:

In "Heart Like Mine" Miranda Lambert talks of how she is judged by other folks but speculates that since Jesus drank wine, she bets they'd get along just fine:


I really don't even like The Band Perry, but this is more than a love song with a line like "If the ties that bind ever do come loose, tie 'em in a knot like a hangman's noose..."


I can take Billy Currington or leave him, but this song grabbed me simply because it was a compelling story, which is evident by my signature line:


What all of these artists have in common is that they have produced these songs as well as utter crap, so you can't dismiss an artist because of one song.  These songs are evident of the fact that when country artists stick to the basics they can produce great music.  Johnny Cash put out a three disc set a while back.  The three discs were simply titled "Love," "God," and "Murder."  If country artists would stick to singing about those three things alone in their basic forms we'd be seeing a lot less crap coming out of Nashville and elsewhere.


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## MishMouse (Nov 6, 2013)

What I consider strange is that a lot of classic rock/southern rock artists are now sounding more country then some of the current country artists.

Example:


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## Delta-T (Nov 6, 2013)

I have said for a few years that country music is the last stronghold for real rockers. country has some of the best musicians around too.


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## Floydian (Nov 6, 2013)

Shovels & Rope. Not something you are likely to hear on the radio but check this out. They are REALLY good!


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## cwill (Nov 9, 2013)

Yup its bluegrass but should still count


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## cwill (Nov 9, 2013)

just went on an hour Youtube music binge.


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## DevilsBrew (Nov 10, 2013)

Delta-T said:


> I have said for a few years that country music is the last stronghold for real rockers. country has some of the best musicians around too.


 
I would say that hardcore bluegrass based musicians are the most talented but even within the modern bluegrass scene there are a lot of wannabes.  Musicians who add in a banjo or fiddle sound for the main purpose of being an edgy hipster.


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## nailed_nailer (Nov 10, 2013)

Love McMurtry,
But gettin into Drive By Truckers lately.


Trampled By Turtles, Again


And really love Hayes Carll


Lot of great suggestions here

Thanks,
---Nailer---


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## MishMouse (Nov 17, 2013)

Here's one for you.


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## stoveguy2esw (Nov 19, 2013)

Badfish740 said:


> That song was one of the last straws for me... Utter crap. It also is illustrative of the "Hank Williams" name drop so prevalent these days. Artists think that by mentioning one of the Williams' or one of their songs its some of kind of instant credibility


 


 the hank williams name drop has only been cool once , in willy and waylon's "luchenbach texas" since then its just annoying, willy and waylon did it right IMHO


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## osagebow (Nov 20, 2013)

Love Dead country/bluegrass/traditional stuff! Had tons to choose from, went with my favorite. They have done 2or 3 of the above tunes, also.


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## Fi-Q (Nov 22, 2013)

I am on my Iphone. Can't figure how to link a youtube video.

But i was to link : ´´streets of bakerfield'´. By Buck & Dwight.
 I was just a kid when it cane out. I loved it. I rhen turn i to a BIG buck Owens fan. I had my ´´Buck´´ years !! And I was lucky enough to ha the chance to see him, live, at the Buck Owen Crytal pàace in Bakerafield in 2005. Even if it was not the best concert of my life it was quite something for me, to had the chance to see buck, live in person.


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