Settin

[Mid-Night Rider]

sunday, december 16, 2007
The "Perfect" Country Song?
If all of country music were distilled down into one song, what would it
be? I'm not talking about the "best" song or your personal favorite, but
about a representative piece. In other words, the most country country
song, or, as David Allan Coe might say, "the perfect country song."
According to Coe, the key ingredients to the "perfect" country song are
"mama, trains, trucks, prison, and gettin' drunk." Check it out here:
David Allan Coe - You Never Even Call Me By My Name (buy album).
Steve Goodman (who, along with John Prine, co-authored Coe's hit) would
expand Coe's list to include "farms," "dead dogs like Old Shep," and
"Christmas": Steve Goodman - You Never Even Call Me By My Name (Live)
(buy album).
Putting aside the cliches (but not too far away) I'd say there are four
key elements to the perfect country song:
(1) Clever lyrics (a pun, a joke, or a play on words, preferably in the
title of the song);
(2) A storyline based, at least in part, on regret (good for fostering
tears in beers);
(3) A stalwart, but flawed, protagonist; and
(4) A peddle steel guitar.
Two other extra-credit elements would be:
(5) Alcohol (thanks to David Allan Coe and a host of others); and
(6) Reverence for the land, especially the South.
I'll reveal my choice at the end of this post. But first, let's first
consider some contenders...
A popular pick surely would be this twangy classic: Tammy Wynette -
Stand By Your Man (buy album) (But I say no because it's missing too
many key elements.)
Here's a nice one from Ms. Wynette's ex-husband that really nails the
regret angle, voiced by the stalwart, but flawed, protagonist: George
Jones - She Thinks I Still Care (buy album).
Hag's relocation-to-premanent-residence-in-the-bar song is a solid
choice: Merle Haggard - Swinging Doors (buy album).
We've got to include this great one from the master: Hank Williams -
Your Cheatin' Heart (buy album).
Finally, here's a fairly obscure one from the 1980's that I've always
loved. It hits almost all of the key elements (plus extra credit for
both alcohol and love of Dixie): Dwight Yoakam - South Of Cincinnati
(buy album). (But it's just not well-known enough to take the crown.)
THEY'RE ALL GREAT BUT THE WINNER IS ......
George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today (buy album).
This one speaks for itself, and it's a real tear-jerker. Our protaganist
pines in vain for years and years over a lost love only to finally stop
loving her when.... Well, I'll just let George tell the rest of the
story. [Read the AMG review.]
What ingredients do you think the perfect country song must include?
More importantly, what's your choice for the perfect country song?
posted by paul at 12:26 pm  
labels: david allan coe, dwight yoakam, george jones, hank williams,
merle haggard, steve goodman, tammy wynette
22 comments:
Clay Eals said...
Good to see your post mentioning "You Never Even Call Me by My Name" and
Steve Goodman. He often doesn't get his due. You may want to know about
my new 800-page biography, "Steve Goodman: Facing the Music." The book
delves into the origin of "You Never Even Call Me by My Name," debunking
the notion that David Allan Coe had anything to do with writing the
song. For more info, check my Internet site below. Just trying to spread
word about the book. Feel free to do the same!Clay Eals1728 California
Ave SW #301Seattle, WA 98116-1958Home phone: 206-935-7515Cell phone:
206-484-8008ceals@comcast.nethttp://www.clayeals.com
December 16, 2007 1:34 PM
Anonymous said...
Barely country, but I'll go with Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road," which
includes the following:a) Granddaddy's moonshine, and the lawman that
didn't come back from the raid on the holler;b) Daddy running whiskey in
a big black Dodge that he bought at an auction at the Mason's lodge;c)
Mama's tears;d) and a drug-dealing Vietnam vet who has plans for the
holler on Copperhead Road.Good lyrics, a story arc, strong Southern
feel, and a nice mandolin intro when done live.Much more country is
Earle's "Harlan Man." Coal, Kentucky, generations of union members, hard
work, and the men vs. the company. And how can you not love the closing
line: "?Cause I'm a Harlan Man / A coal minin' mother ?til the day I'm
dead."Earle has experimented with a bunch of styles (try his theme from
this season's "The Wire"), but I like his country/bluegrass-inflected
stuff the best.Enjoyed this post -- thanks!
December 16, 2007 1:42 PM
Paul said...
Clay, Your book looks interesting. I'll be sure to get a copy.I'm pretty
sure I first heard about Steve Goodman in the David Allan Coe song. (If
not that it might have been through the City of New Orleans). So, if
nothing else, Coe's cover is probably good exposure for Goodman. Anyway,
I've been a Goodman fan for a long time.I don't know if you saw my
recent post on John Hartford. Apart from the disease they both fought,
Goodman and Hartford had a lot in common. Both wrote a truly classic
American songs (Gentle on My Mind/City of New Orleans). Both had an
engaging sense of humor. And both do not always "get their due."If
anybody reading this isn't familiar with Goodman, I recommend the No Big
Surprise anthology ("buy album" link in post). And check out these
tracks to get a feel for what Goodman is all about: Between The Lines
(mp3) (from No Big Surprise), Winter Wonderland (Live) (mp3) (from No
Big Surprise).Paul
December 16, 2007 4:46 PM
Paul said...
CORRECTIONUnfortunately, I can't edit my previous comment. Note that
"Winter Wonderland" is NOT on No Big Surprise. It's from the album
"Artistic Hair." (I pushed the "publish comment" button too soon.)
Anyway, Goodman is worth checking out.Paul-Paul
December 16, 2007 4:50 PM
Dave said...
Great topic. "Good Ole Boys Like Me" by Don Williams comes pretty close
to matching your criteria in terms of lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzGx_XzxDeMI don't think of it as the
prototypical country song, although it is a damned good one. This is
going to take a little more thought before I cast a vote.
December 16, 2007 8:46 PM
Paul said...
Dave, Don would have been there if he just put a peddle steel into that
song!!! (And it would have fit in perfectly.)Thanks for the video.
December 16, 2007 10:01 PM
Ted Barron said...
um..."Good Year For The Roses" ?"The Window Up Above" ?
December 17, 2007 9:34 AM
Paul said...
Ted, George Jones is definitely the man when it comes to this game.I've
always slightly preferred Haggard, but Jones has a ton of great classics
that go right to the heart of country music (and a great nickname).
Gotta go with "the possum" as the prototypical country star of the 20th
century.
December 17, 2007 9:43 AM
Paul said...
anon,I've got about half of the Steve Earl catalog. My favorites are
"Guitar Town" and "My Old Friend the Blues" from the first album and I
love his cover of "I'm Looking Through You" (again with the mandolin
intro).
December 17, 2007 9:45 AM
Dave said...
Good Year for the Roses came right to mind for me, too, Ted.Georgia Hard
by Robbie Fulks nails all six of the criteria, but also falls into the
category of too obscure.
December 17, 2007 1:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Paul, if you haven't heard "The Mountain," try it. Really, really good
stuff, a nice extension of "Train' a Comin'" in the bluegrass vein. I am
coming around to "Washington Square," though it has taken several
listens to do so.I was also thinking about another non-country country
song, Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning." The Del McCoury
Band does a great cover and I very much like Reckless Kelly's version of
it, too. Classic motorcycle, a redhead, a life of crime, a shotgun blast
and a bad end to a bad hat, weeping girl at his side. Good stuff. So
well written that it's impossible to mangle, and does well in the hands
of other artists.
December 17, 2007 1:16 PM
brendan said...
^^^ "red hair and black leather, my favorite color scheme.."good call,
anon.great post today paul!
December 17, 2007 2:04 PM
Dave said...
Almost cast a write-in for "I'm the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised)", but
it's gotta be "He Stopped Loving Her Today."
December 17, 2007 9:39 PM
Paul said...
The fact that the guy dies gives "He Stopped Loving Her Today" some
extra punch, but my favorite dead guy country song has to be Lefty
Frizzell's "Long Black Veil" becausee that one's actually sung by the
dead guy, which is impressive.
December 18, 2007 9:00 AM
Ted Barron said...
"I've Been To Georgia on A Fast Train" by Billy Joe Shaver.
December 18, 2007 1:28 PM
paul said...
Billy Joe Shaver = Country.
December 18, 2007 7:11 PM
Paul said...
Clay, Your Steve Goodman book arrived today. All I can say is "wow."
It's huge. Tons of information and pictures. It's got to be about the
most fact-filled book I've ever seen about any musician. Good work!
December 22, 2007 3:39 PM
Anonymous said...
Feelin' Good Again by Robert Earl Keen, Jr. What a great song.I like
your blog. Thanks.Mark
December 25, 2007 7:35 PM
dan said...
Are you ever coming back with a new posting? I sure hope so! Thanks.
May 1, 2008 9:16 PM
Paul said...
Hey dan, it's only been two days. This is just a hobby.Thansk for
checking in.
May 1, 2008 9:42 PM
Anonymous said...
johnny cash would take the cake for me. even his first hit, hey porter,
shows off a perfect quality of country you didn't mention: longing.he is
so sentimental about getting home that you can feel the words singing
straight out of his heart. he becomes jubilant at the end of the song,
singing that he didn't even mind the fare, cause he gets to set his feet
on southern soil..and breathe that southern air. the man is pure
country, every single song. a great later example is I hung my head. i
love johnny so much i could list 50 of his songs as the 'perfect country
song'. great post, and great pic in swinging doors by merle. now, anyone
wanna talk some hank III ??
October 8, 2008 3:43 PM
Mick Bordet said...
An inspiring post... I just about managed to include all the ingredients
according to David Allan Coe, Steve Goodman and your good self in one
song.The Ballad of Rufus Amos AdamsEnjoy!
October 12, 2008 8:27 PM
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about this site
This was a blog about my favorite music old and new: country, rock,
bluegrass, and jazz. The contents are solely for nonprofit educational
purposes. Sample mp3s are posted for a limited time only. For more info,
see here. Thanks for checking in!Note: I'm currently taking a break from
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Recent Comments

Westex Thanks for these... I might not have heard all of it before, but
I bought enough cut outs in the 90s that I remember the sound(s).
Those Jangly 80's! · 2 days ago
Jon thanks nice mix of old faves with songs that are new to me.
Those Jangly 80's! · 3 days ago
Lex Jansen Actually, you got "Pillow Talk" by Guadalcanal Diary!
Those Jangly 80's! · 3 days ago
Lex Jansen Great!
A few I'm missing:
- Naked Prey with What Price for Freedom.
- Guadalcanal Diary
Those Jangly 80's! · 4 days ago
nelson529 This series was originally running around the same time I
found your blog for the first time. It's why Setting the Woods on Fire
was the first mp3 blog that I ever had bookmarked. Great stuff.
Those Jangly 80's! · 4 days ago
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Country Classics
Vernon Dalhart, 1883-1948Riley Puckett, 1894-1946Fred Rose,
1897-1954Jimmie Rodgers, 1897-1933Jimmie Davis, 1899-2000Roy Acuff,
1903-1992Milton Brown, 1903-1936Bob Wills, 1905-1975Moon Mullican,
1909-1967Bill Monroe, 1911-1996Tommy Duncan, 1911-1967Rex Griffin,
1912-1959Ernest Tubb, 1914-1984Hank Snow, 1914-1999Leon Payne,
1917-1969Merle Travis, 1917-1983Hank Penny, 1918-1992Kitty Wells,
1918Tennessee Ernie Ford, 1919-1991Webb Pierce, 1921-1991Hank Williams,
1923-1953Doc Watson, 1923Carl Butler, 1924-1992Jimmy Work, 1924Lattie
Moore, 1924Marty Robbins, 1925-1982Johnny Horton, 1925-1960Hank
Thompson, 1925-2007Ray Price, 1926Ralph Stanley, 1927Porter Wagoner,
1927-2007Lefty Frizzell, 1928-1975Don Gibson, 1928-2003Buck Owens,
1929-2006Harlan Howard, 1929-2002Charline Arthur, 1929-1987George Jones,
1931Johnny Cash, 1932-2003Patsy Cline, 1932-1963Charlie Rich,
1932-1995Dick Curless, 1932-1995Faron Young, 1932-1996Willie Nelson,
1933Tompall Glaser, 1933Loretta Lynn, 1934Wynn Stewart, 1934-1985Vern
Gosdin, 1934-2009Jerry Lee Lewis, 1935Bobby Bare, 1935Roger Miller,
1936-1992Glen Campbell, 1936Tom T. Hall, 1936Kris Kristofferson,
1936Merle Haggard, 1937Waylon Jennings, 1937-2002John Hartford,
1937-2001Charley Pride, 1938Johnny Paycheck, 1938-2003Billy Joe Shaver,
1939David Allan Coe, 1939Mickey Newbury, 1940-2002Don Rich,
1941-1974Doug Sahm, 1941-1999Guy Clark, 1941Tammy Wynette,
1942-1998Jerry Jeff Walker, 1942Steve Young, 1942Terry Allen, 1943Moe
Bandy, 1944Clarence White, 1944-1973Townes Van Zandt, 1944-1997Jimmy
Dale Gilmore, 1945Butch Hancock, 1945Gram Parsons, 1946-1973Ray Wylie
Hubbard, 1946Joe Ely, 1947Emmylou Harris, 1947

Jazz Giants
Jelly Roll Morton, 1890-1941Duke Ellington, 1899-1974Louis Armstrong,
1901-1971Bix Beiderbecke, 1903-1931Fats Waller, 1904-1943Coleman
Hawkins, 1904-1969Lester Young, 1909-1959Art Tatum, 1909-1956Gil Evans,
1912-1988Billie Holiday, 1915-1959Charlie Christian, 1916-1942Dizzy
Gillespie, 1917-1993Thelonious Monk, 1917-1982Art Blakey,
1919-1990Charlie Parker, 1920-1955Dave Brubeck, 1920Charles Mingus,
1922-1979Dexter Gordon, 1923-1990Bud Powell, 1924-1966Art Pepper,
1925-1982Miles Davis, 1926-1991Stan Getz, 1927-1991John Coltrane,
1926-1967Cannonball Adderly, 1928-1975Eric Dolphy, 1928-1964Jimmy Smith,
1928-2005Bill Evans, 1929-1980Chet Baker, 1929-1988Ornette Coleman,
1930Clifford Brown, 1930-1956Sonny Rollins, 1930Lee Morgan,
1938-1972Freddie Hubbard, 1938Herbie Hancock, 1940

More Favorites
The Band, The Beach Boys, The Beat Farmers, The Beatles, Beck, Chuck
Berry, Big Star, Billy Bragg, The Buzzcocks, The Byrds, Laura Cantrell,
The Carter Family, Neko Case, Gene Clark, The Clash, Eddie Cochran, Nat
King Cole, Commander Cody, Sam Cooke, Elvis Costello, Cowboy Junkies,
Marshall Crenshaw, The dB's, Iris DeMent, Bo Diddley, Nick Drake, The
Drive-By Truckers, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, The Everly Brothers, Charlie
Feathers, The Feelies, The Flatlanders, Flatt & Scruggs, The Fleshtones,
The Flying Burrito Brothers, Funkadelic, Marvin Gaye, Giant Sand, Steve
Goodman, Green On Red, Guadalcanal Diary, Woody Guthrie, Wynonie Harris,
Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Hoodoo Gurus, Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee
Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Wanda Jackson, The Jam, Jason & The Scorchers,
Robert Johnson, Robert Earl Keen, The Kinks, Fela Kuti, Leadbelly,
Little Richard, Lone Justice, The Louvin Brothers, Love, Lyle Lovett,
Bob Martin, Dean Martin, Curtis Mayfield, MC5, Blind Willie McTell, The
Meat Puppets, The Minutemen, Joni Mitchell, The Modern Lovers, Harry
Nilsson, Roy Orbison, The Osborne Brothers, Ralph Peer, Carl Perkins,
Pixies, The Plimsouls, The Pogues, Elvis Presley, John Prine, The
Ramones, Willis Alan Ramsey, Rank And File, R.E.M., The Replacements,
Emitt Rhodes, The Rolling Stones, Leon Russell, The Sex Pistols, Del
Shannon, Paul Siebel, Shel Silverstein, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank
Sinatra, Bessie Smith, Harry Smith, Patti Smith, The Smiths, The Stanley
Brothers, The Stooges, Television, The Temptations, T. Rex, Uncle
Tupelo, The Undertones, The Velvet Underground, Gene Vincent, Tom Waits,
T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Gillian Welch, The Who, Larry Williams,
Lucinda Williams, Stevie Wonder, X, XTC, Dwight Yoakam, Neil Young, The
Zombies

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