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Country Western Music has Changed over the years
And not necessarily for the worse.
I admit I’m not a big Country Western music guy. I grew up outside of Chicago, listening to the rock of Chicago, WLS, or their rival rock station, WCFL, aka Super CFL. Country music was generally something I made fun of.
When I was growing up, pretty much all the Country Western music cliches were in vogue. The woman standing by her man, the guy with drinking and woman issues, and the good woman done wrong were all common refrains.
Those depressing storylines were often sung with a twang that was like listening to fingernails on a chalkboard.
I’ve heard it said that Country Western music tells a story. And it does. The type of story you could hear on a suicide prevention hotline.
Apparently, writing Country Westen music is more profitable than telling your problems to a shrink.
Tammy Wanette was the poster girl for why I didn’t care for Country Westen music.
Her rendition of, “Stand by Your Man”, juxtaposed against her personal life, was the epitome of the things I joked about. Stand by her man, which one? Tammy could have gotten a lot of exercise walking back and forth between her men.
