Country Folk
Jay Langford
I was just thinkin' about the young generation and their ability to
survive in case times got "hard" like in the depression days of the 30's
and 40's.
1st; how many would know how to make soap with lard and ashes from the
fire place? 2nd; how many would know how to keep fresh meat from goin'
bad without refrigeration. 3rd; how many would know plow the crops with
a "georgie stock" by hookin' up the MULE with a "single tree", and not a
HORSE in order to prevent the crop from being destroyed by it being
stepped on. 4th; how many would know how to plow the "new-ground"
without getting an ankle broke when the sassfrass root broke and
"snapped back" when the plow broke it. 5th;How many would know what to
use "Lime" for in the water well and the "outhouse"? 6th; How many would
know that wrapping a "tow-sack" around the water jug and soakin' it in
the creek would keep it cool while they worked in the field?
7th; how many would know how important music was after a hard day on
order to keep your sanity? The word "country" doesn't belong in the
music of today.
RoadToad
Well, here I go again. I live in the "country", and almost always
have. We aren't farmers, but my paw-in-law next door keeps a few acres
of corn, beans, and 'taters - just the basic necessities, with a whole
bunch of tomatoes, cukes, and squash on the side.
The part of this county that hasn't been turned into golf courses is
still mostly farm land. Beside nearly every farm house is a satellite
dish. Behind every farm house is a barn with a big tractor, and
cultivating equipment, and some have combines. The chickens and hogs
are raised in commercial growing houses that produce thousands at a
time. The kids on these farms wash with soap bought at Food Lion, and
drink Coke kept cool in refrigerators while they do their homework on
PC's, and play with Mario on their Nintendo 64's. They wouldn't know a
mule if it bit them. But the thing is, they don't have to.
The "country" just ain't what it used to be, so neither is the music.
People can't sing about those old-time country ways if they've never
lived them. It would take one hell of an economic disaster to set us
all back fifty years, but I guess anything's possible. If the younger
generation of artists and writers were to write or sing about most
"traditional" ways, and values, it would be a con, because few have
actually lived it. I think it's better they produce songs about what
they know than to carry a torch for a long-gone era, and try to make
us believe they were a part of it.
Jay Langford
Road Toad wrote about the "country folk" of yesterday and today.
Yeah, RT; This is the "Good life". The world is being contaminated and
the land fills are gradually smothering the earth with plastics and
synthetic products that don't de-grade. Even the oceans and lakes are
becoming cess pools. Yes, this is the
"Good Life". (for how long?);.. Jay
I'm gonna grab another beer, (not shlitz) and drink one with Buck, Tim,
and Duke,(and anybody else that wants to join in. Remember that old
song; "Pop a Top Again"?
RoadToad
On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 17:57:15 -0500, Gita...@webtv.net (Jay Langford),
for the benefit of all, wrote:
>Road Toad wrote about the "country folk" of yesterday and today.
>
>Yeah, RT; This is the "Good life". The world is being contaminated and
>the land fills are gradually smothering the earth with plastics and
>synthetic products that don't de-grade. Even the oceans and lakes are
>becoming cess pools. Yes, this is the
>"Good Life". (for how long?);.. Jay
There must be a song in this somewhere.
Valued Sony Customer
Jay You are so right and these people that listen to music today and call
it country don't know what they are talking about. The Red Rebel
Jay Langford <Gita...@webtv.net> wrote in article
<6gqrnj$suo$1...@newsd-134.iap.bryant.webtv.net>...
Jay Langford
delaeoff wrote; "Hell, man; we can't help it if our parents left the
farm for a better way of life."
You missed the "jist" of this post. I was just thinkin' back about the
things the older folks had to do to exist. I'm not puttin' any blame on
anybody. Just trying to portray the conditions that existed when the old
songs were written. Thats why a lot of these songs were about hard
times, like: "One lady says her furniture goes back to Louis, the 14th;
and the other says, "I know what you mean; Our's goes back to Sears and
Rareback the 6th. Fun to talk about this stuff, even though it was sad.
Jay
Keep cool!
Jay Langford
Red Rebel wrote; "The people of today don't know what country is"....
Right you are, Red; We used to enjoy pickin' on the back porch and
havin' home made peach ice cream and playin' dominoes with the family.
That's where the "younguns" learned to chord a guitar and pick along
with the grownups, and when they were good enough, they would go to town
and pick in a cafe or, if they were old enough, one of the local honky
tonks to get their feel of the stage and some would go on to the
"big-time". I can't get my grandson off that web long enough to learn to
pick. I like progress, but, it's not going to be long 'til the kids can
punch a few buttons and have a computer do their pickin' for them and
never know how good it feels to make an original "run" on a guitar, and
finally get their fingers tough enough to pick without bleeding. Jay
as an ole' cowboy said; "You don't know what lonesome is 'til you get to
heardin' cows"
Luvless
Jay Langford wrote:
>
> Road Toad wrote about the "country folk" of yesterday and today.
>
> Yeah, RT; This is the "Good life". The world is being contaminated and
> the land fills are gradually smothering the earth with plastics and
> synthetic products that don't de-grade. Even the oceans and lakes are
> becoming cess pools. Yes, this is the
> "Good Life". (for how long?);.. Jay
>
> and Duke,(and anybody else that wants to join in. Remember that old
> song; "Pop a Top Again"?
Or Chug-a-lug, Chug-a-lug?
-Luvless
Buck Johnson
>
> >Road Toad wrote about the "country folk" of yesterday and today.
> >
> >Yeah, RT; This is the "Good life". The world is being contaminated and
> >the land fills are gradually smothering the earth with plastics and
> >synthetic products that don't de-grade. Even the oceans and lakes are
> >becoming cess pools. Yes, this is the
> >"Good Life". (for how long?);.. Jay
>
Yeah, but I think Hank Junior already wrote it, Toad.
The preacher man says it's the end of times
The Mississipi River is a goin' dry
.....but a country boy can survive
Buck
Buck Johnson
Luvless wrote:
> Jay Langford wrote:
> I'm gonna grab another beer, (not shlitz) and drink one with Buck, Tim,
> and Duke,(and anybody else that wants to join in. Remember that old
> song; "Pop a Top Again"?
Set 'em up, my friend....I guess I better join ya, Jay. Sounds like yer
a little sad this Easter.
Buck
Jay Langford
delaeoff on "Country Folk"
Yo, del; you qualify as good ole' country in my book! see ya, Jay
rp
>Yeah, RT; This is the "Good life". The world is being contaminated and
>the land fills are gradually smothering the earth with plastics and
>synthetic products that don't de-grade. Even the oceans and lakes are
>becoming cess pools. Yes, this is the "Good Life".
One of the irony's of the modern age is our longing for what has gone.
We seem to need the past to make sense of today, but it is always out
of reach. So we are forced to imitate, usually to feeble effect.
Seventy years ago when Dock Boggs sang and picked banjo he was adding
to our musical history. Not that he knew that then, and if he did, it
never was a help, his life was always a struggle, until it was to
late.
To expect a musician today to endure the pain and suffering of the
past, many unsung, musical heroes. In the hope that they might achieve
that remarkable quality of sound, would seem unwise, unfair and
probably impossible.
So I say enjoy the bland of now and look forward to a virtual hearth,
or should that be Garth?
rp
Jay Langford
Richard wrote; To expect a musician today to endure the pain and
suffering of the past.........etc."
This is not the "jist" of my post either. Your post is the very reason
why the name "country" does not represent the music of today! Let the
fans enjoy this stuff and all the fabulous artists of today,(as I do
some of it); but don't hang the "country" name on it. It's too "glitzy"
for country. The "old timey" music is not country either, (I call it
"Mountain" or "folk") but they have the "country" name on the ng, and
that causes confusion and sometimes "knock-down drag-outs" when I, and
other folks try to post about Tex Ritter, Ernest Tubb, Jimmy Wakley,
Cowboy Slim Reinhart, etc. Jay
PS; I really don't think it's a "big thing"; just something to talk
about and express our opinions about. Take care.
Jay Langford
Buck wrote; "...but a country boy can survive"
Hey, Buck; That's a good song for you to do. We need to add it to our
rep--- reprito-- repre--- er , play list. Since the tour is on again, do
you want to take the first turn of the wheel, or maby Floyd, or Red, or
even Glenq.
Jim Kindon
On Mon, 13 Apr 1998 09:39:30 -0400, Luvless <tw...@crosslink.net>
wrote:
>Jay Langford wrote:
>>
>> Road Toad wrote about the "country folk" of yesterday and today.
>>
>> Yeah, RT; This is the "Good life". The world is being contaminated and
>> the land fills are gradually smothering the earth with plastics and
>> synthetic products that don't de-grade. Even the oceans and lakes are
>> becoming cess pools. Yes, this is the
>> "Good Life". (for how long?);.. Jay
>>
>> I'm gonna grab another beer, (not shlitz) and drink one with Buck, Tim,
>> and Duke,(and anybody else that wants to join in. Remember that old
>> song; "Pop a Top Again"?
>
>Or Chug-a-lug, Chug-a-lug?
>
>-Luvless
Don't it make you want to holler Hi De Ho
Good on yer Roger R.I.P.
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Regards
Jim
Skyline Design & Country Music
Plymouth, Home of the Pilgrim Fathers.
The Born Free Foundation
Jim Kindon
On Mon, 13 Apr 1998 09:27:11 -0500, Gita...@webtv.net (Jay Langford)
wrote:
>delaeoff wrote; "Hell, man; we can't help it if our parents left the
Hey Jay
that sounded just like it could have come out of Ramblin' Jack
Elliot's song "15 Cents and a Dollar" do ya remember that one ?.
15 cents is all I got, a dollar is all I crave
15 cents to buy me a beer a dollar to dig my grave.
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