3 Country Classics That Are Pillars of the Underground

Most people know the names Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, and Brad Paisley. Though fewer people know the names of Blaze Foley, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Billy Joe Shaver. Now, those names just listed certainly have a following, and an incredibly loyal one at that, as their fanbase is that of a selective cult following. Consequently, their likeness and songs are staples of the underground country music scene.

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What would the Americana scene look like if these names had never helped found the underground country music scene? Well, who can truly say? Though rest assured, if it wasn’t for these three country classics, the Americana music scene of today’s day and age would likely look a whole lot different.

“If I Could Only Fly” by Blaze Foley

Blaze Foley never acquired a mainstream following, though that was seemingly never his mission. Instead, he was an incidental silent partner in the crafting of the underground country music scene we know and love today, and one of the songs that made him so was “If I Could Only Fly”.

Foley’s underrepresented catalog contains quite a few hidden gems, but in terms of propping up the scene as a reputable force, this is one of the primary songs that served as a pillar. And that is particularly because Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson acknowledged Foley and the obscure scene as a major force when they covered Foley’s single in 1987.

“Mr. Bojangles” by Jerry Jeff Walker

Jerry Jeff Walker is arguably one of the more notable figures the underground country music scene produced. The song that solidified Walker as a spokesperson and pillar of the underground music scene was undeniably his 1968 ballad, “Mr. Bojangles”.

Unsurprisingly, Walker’s ballad is a masterclass in lyrical storytelling. As a result, it has been covered by Sammy Davis Jr., Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Robbie Williams, Neil Diamond, John Denver, and Harry Nilsson. Walker’s song proved that some of the best-written songs were coming straight from the scene that he helped build.

“Pancho and Lefty” by Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt is arguably the pinnacle figure of the underground country music scene. He is often praised as the best country music songwriter of all time, and generally, just one of the best of all time. Frankly, every song of his has helped him garner that unofficial title, but his biggest commercial success, and the song that further bolstered the scene as a major artistic party, was “Pancho and Lefty”.

As most of you staunch country fans already know, the version of this song that made it boom was Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson’s 1983 cover. The single did the thing Townes Van Zandt never really wanted to do, which is to climb the charts and peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Regardless, the success of this song further showed that the underground could be above ground in the blink of an eye. Though the players in it seemingly preferred to stay honest and obscure.

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