We all have that one friend who says, “I listen to everything but country.” However, we all know they really mean that they listen to whatever is on the hottest multi-genre playlist and a handful of outlier artists. These are the people who believe that country music is limited to the fish-kissing, truck-loving, beer-guzzling, cookie-cutter songs we’re fed by country radio. They don’t know anything about classic country music.
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Introducing people to great music is one of my all-time favorite things to do. I enjoy it even more than I can break down someone’s preconceived notions and introduce them to a whole new world of killer tunes. I’ve been working hard to make my “I listen to everything but country” friend understand the magic of classic country over the last few months. These songs finally showed him the light.
“Act Naturally” by Buck Owens
My friend, let’s call him Frank, has a good sense of humor. That made breaking down his genre walls a little easier. The use of humor as a coping mechanism to deal with heartache is something many of us can relate to. With that in mind, I chose this absolute classic from country legend Buck Owens’ catalog.
I didn’t mention that “Act Naturally” was Owens’ first No. 1 or that the Beatles recorded a version of it for Help because Ringo Starr was–and still is–a country music fan. Instead, I just requested that he listen to the lyrics and give it an honest shot.
“King of the Road” by Roger Miller
Long before I understood that I was listening to one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time or understood the concept of classic country, I fell in love with “King of the Road.” When I got older and started exploring music a bit more deeply, it was my gateway to Roger Miller. My love for this song and its accessibility made me choose it over “One Dyin’ and a Buryin’,” my all-time favorite from Miller’s discography.
The humor, laced with cynicism as it is, helped this one get around Frank’s anti-country forcefield. However, it was more than that. It was the happiness the hobo protagonist seemed to find with his lot in life. He doesn’t need fancy things. He smokes discarded stogies and travels from place to place, unhindered by society’s demands.
“Okie from Muskogee” by Merle Haggard
“Okie from Muskogee” is one of the most versatile songs in country music. Those who believe that it’s satire (a hill I’ll die on) enjoy it for its irony. On the other hand, those who are more puritanical and right-leaning can enjoy it at face value. While neither of us is from Muskogee, Frank and I are both Okies. So, this one was an easy sell.
After the song played, I shared a fun fact with my pop-loving pal. Before “Okie from Muskogee” was a huge hit, no one would use that word to describe themselves. In fact, it was a derisive term for the people who fled from Oklahoma to the West Coast during the Dust Bowl. Haggard changed the meaning of the word with this stone-cold country classic.
“Six More Miles (To the Graveyard)” by Hank Williams
No introduction to classic country music would be complete without some Hank. Instead of the more popular cuts like “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” or “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” I went with “Six More Miles (To the Graveyard),” the B-side from “I Saw the Light,” released in 1948.
Country music has always had its fair share of heartbroken songs. However, this proves that not all of them are about crying in a bar because you lost your wife, truck, and dog. “Six More Miles” is so much more human. It’s about a man taking the ride to the cemetery for his lover’s graveside service. It’s dark, sure, but it is also incredibly human and captures a moment of grief that few songwriters have touched, no matter the genre.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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