If you’re hankering for a life lesson, just listen to 1970s country music. The artists from that golden era of the genre were ready and willing to share the wisdom they’d learned out there on the road.
And that’s just what we wanted to highlight below. We wanted to explore three tracks from back in the day that teach as much as they entertain. Indeed, these are three country songs from the 1970s that will actually make you smarter.
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“Coat Of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton from ‘Coat Of Many Colors’ (1971)
This is simply one of the greatest country songs of all time. Not only is Dolly Parton as reliable as any to deliver a twangy tune, but the substance of this offering is essential. It teaches listeners that learning to love what you have is better than lusting after what you don’t. It teaches that family is the thread that keeps everything together. Parton, who grew up dirt poor in a big family, was just the person to deliver this message. And we’re all smarter for it.
“The Pill” by Loretta Lynn from ‘Back To The Country’ (1975)
Some things are hard to talk about. So, that’s why it’s important to have artists in the world who can sometimes speak for you. They can start conversations we aren’t always willing to jump into ourselves. And that’s just what Loretta Lynn does on this tune. All of the elements she dives into are difficult, taboo. But she handles the subjects with total skill and aplomb. Indeed, we’re all wiser and better off for it, too.
“The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers from ‘The Gambler’ (1978)
This classic country song literally teaches us lesson after lesson in its lyrics. If you ever wondered what it was like to be a professional gambler, well, this 1978 offering from Kenny Rogers has some insight for you. After hearing it, we leave the song smarter than we were before. Not only that, but Rogers delivers the insights with such charm that we walk away from it being able to sing the concepts word-for-word. It’s a masterclass in country songwriting and performance.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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