Everyone Needs Some Country- A Collective Effort

So it's four a.m. and I'm sitting in the common room, writing a dissertation for MassComm (second blog class, anyone?) and my friend decides to start sending me country videos via YouTube at a rapid-fire pace. Now, I'm not a country fan by any means. Yet, despite my general aversion to all things country and redneck and what-have-you, I have mad amounts of respect for certain country artists that paved the way for music and musical artists over the years.


For starters, we have Johnny Cash. From the Boy Named Sue to the Ring of Fire to the shortly-prior-to-his-passing Nine Inch Nails cover, the autonomy and complexity of Cash's deep voice and country/gospel sound does a solid job or reaching into everyone's heart. When I want to sit and contemplate life and feel a little bit like a real American, I watch Walk the Line. Country. Folk. Jazz. Blues. An artist in prison and a lost hand (watch the movie, I promise it's worth your while) and a million songs and stories. I was alive and aware when he died, and I cried.

Of course, Johnny Cash needs to be mentioned twice- has anyone ever heard The Highwaymen? The song 'Highwayman' makes every little kid want to be a gunslinger and ride out into the West- trust me, even I wanted to get up on a horse and ride away. It's like the Travelling Wilburys for country- Willie Nelson, Kris Kristoferson, Waylon Jennings, and of course, my man Johnny. Rumor has it, I was at one of their last concerts- of course, I was still at about 4 weeks gestation, but you know, semantics.

Speaking of Willie Nelson... can we talk about Willie Nelson? Literally one of the best country singers alive. He's this braid-wearing, bandana-sporting old skinny country crooner who manages to up the cool factor of anyone he sings with. Any time you want to ease your way into country music, I recommend 'Pancho and Lefty' by Nelson and Bob Dylan. Want something more modern and less folksy? Try 'Mendocino County Line', sung with Sheryl Crow. Sheryl. Crow. It's like this eighty-year-old former pal of Cash thinks he's Kid Rock or something.

I'll be mad disappointed if I go and ask you about your favorite country song and still hear the name 'Jason Aldean'.