When one thinks of politically charged or commentary-oriented songs from the 1960s, one often thinks of folk music or even rock. Rarely did country songs from 1967, specifically, touch on the changing times in America with great poignance. The following four songs sure did, though, and they remain country classics for the ages. Let’s take a look!
“Skip A Rope” by Henson Cargill from ‘Skip A Rope’
Henson Cargill released this loaded song in 1967, and it was a fast hit on both the US and Canadian country charts as well as the Billboard Hot 100. Cargill’s song implores adult listeners to play the song for their children and to pay attention to how their children react to it, as it touches on things like crime, racism, domestic abuse, and more. The reaction of children who listen to it would be a reflection of the times, as well as how their parents were raising them. I can confidently say that there isn’t a song out there quite like “Skip A Rope”.
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“I Don’t Wanna Play House” by Tammy Wynette from ‘Take Me To Your World / I Don’t Wanna Play House’
Divorce wasn’t exactly something new in the late 1960s, but the tides were changing. And even though divorce was something that happened all the time, few opted to explore the topic from the perspective of a woman or even a child. Tammy Wynette did exactly that with “I Don’t Wanna Play House”, a song about a young mother whose husband leaves her. Their young daughter, playing with a neighborhood boy, says that she doesn’t want to “play house” because she doesn’t believe it could be fun after witnessing her parents’ broken marriage. It was a song ahead of its time, and listeners really embraced it. “I Don’t Wanna Play House” made it all the way to No. 1 on the US country charts.
“Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)” by Loretta Lynn from ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)’
Loretta Lynn touched on feminist concepts before many fellow female country singers were doing the same. In a way, songs like “The Pill”, which encouraged women to consider taking control of their own bodies, inspired countless women to pursue country music and speak their minds. One of the earliest examples of Loretta Lynn breaking barriers in American country music was with this entry on our list of country songs from 1967. “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)” was a bold, in-your-face defense of women who were sick of their husbands coming home drunk and wanting sex. Listeners resonated with it, and the song went to No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart.
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