Proof Country Music is About More Than Trucks

Country music has taken a beating lately. Entertainment Weekly critic Grady Smith created a video about why country music was awful in 2013, saying all the songs were only about trucks, girls and dirt roads. Chris Gray at Houston Press wrote an article about things country music should write about besides trucks. After reading his suggestions, I beg to differ. There ARE country songs about his 'suggested' topics.

1. Balls

Beside bashing Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line for 'borrowing their music from hip-hop,' Gray wants songs about balls. How about these:

Kenny Chesney 'How Forever Feels' that begins with the lyrics 'big orange ball, sinkin' in the water.'
Kenny Rogers 'The Greatest,' a song about a boy pitching to himself
Trace Adkins 'Swing,' another song about BaseBALL.
Alabama 'Cheap Seats' at a baseBALL game.

I guess Gray has never been to a summer country concert where beach balls are tossed everywhere.

2. Food

'Only great country song about food is Barbeque.' Really? How about these:

Zac Brown Band 'Chicken Fried'
Tim McGraw 'Something Like That,' with the lyrics 'bbq stain on my white tshirt.'
Tracy Byrd 'Watermelon Crawl'
Deana Carter 'Strawberry Wine'

3. Trees

Again bashing 'the locker-room mentality of most modern country acts,' more songs should focus on trees. Because that's mature. Then try these:

Alan Jackson 'Tall Tall Trees'
Pam Tillis 'Shake the Sugar Tree'
Darryl Worley 'Family Tree'
George Jones 'Wood and Wire'

4. Coal

'Coal makes steel, which makes trucks.' True, but there ARE classic country songs about coal.

Loretta Lynn 'Coal Miners Daughter'
Dwight Yoakam 'Miner's Prayer'
Johnny Cash 'Dark as a Dungeon'

5. Traffic

More songs are needed about the 'traffic trucks get stuck in.' Ok, here ya go:

Rodney Atkins 'Take a Back Road,' a song about leaving the traffic behind.
Tim McGraw 'Emotional Traffic'
Ricky Van Shelton 'Keep It Between the Lines'
Sawyer Brown 'Six Days on the Road'
Alabama 'Roll On'

6. Hunting

To say there are no country songs about hunting is just being uneducated and a non country fan. There are LOTS of hunting songs and few fishing ones too.

Johnny Cash 'Country Boy'
Brad Paisley 'I'm Still A Guy'
Blake Shelton 'Ol Red'
Justin Moore 'Backwoods'
Da Yoopers 'Second Week of Deer Camp'
Bananas at Large 'Thirty Point Buck'

These songs could also fall into the food category since most country stars eat what they kill when they go hunting.

7. Retiring

'Because most of these hacks should just hang it up.' Would you call Garth, Dolly and Kenny hacks?

Garth Brooks 'Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old'
Johnny Paycheck 'Take This Job and Shove It'
Dolly Parton & Ricky Van Shelton 'Rocking Years'
Kenny Chesney 'Don't Blink'

8. Wrestling

Ok we'll give Gray this one. I can't think of any songs about wrestling. But why write a song about something that isn't real, which is what country music is all about. Just listen to Brad Paisley's 'This is Country Music.'