I don’t know if you realize it or not, but country music is back on our FM dial. Go Country 105.1 re-launched country music in L.A. and I have to say that I have kind of missed it! Country music is not my first choice in music, that would be worship music, but it is often my second choice. I think that the reason that it is high on my list is because I pretty much grew up on country. I was raised listening to the likes of The Statler Brothers, Merle Haggard, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, and Larry Gatlin.
Just a bit of trivia. Larry Gatlin married the organist of our church in Odessa, Texas. I knew Larry Gatlin when I was four years old. How is that for name dropping? I am sure that the remembers me!
When you step back and look at country music you have to ask yourself can you really go wrong with songs like Jesus, Take the Wheel, She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy, and Hillbilly Deluxe? What a myriad of theological and practical enthusiasm just jam packed into those titles!! Yea, I know that country music can be a bit trashy, but a lot of it is good clean fun.
The thing about country music, I think for me, is the memories that spring to mind when I listen to it. I remember things like the fact that I am basically white trash. The proof is in the pudding. My parents and my brother and his family actually live in trailer parks. We are “born again” white trash, but we are still white trash. Is there any chance of not being white trash when your mom grew up in Borger, Texas and your dad grew up in Sweetwater, Texas?
When you step back and look at country music you have to ask yourself can you really go wrong with songs like Jesus, Take the Wheel, She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy, and Hillbilly Deluxe? What a myriad of theological and practical enthusiasm just jam packed into those titles!! Yea, I know that country music can be a bit trashy, but a lot of it is good clean fun.
The thing about country music, I think for me, is the memories that spring to mind when I listen to it. I remember things like the fact that I am basically white trash. The proof is in the pudding. My parents and my brother and his family actually live in trailer parks. We are “born again” white trash, but we are still white trash. Is there any chance of not being white trash when your mom grew up in Borger, Texas and your dad grew up in Sweetwater, Texas?
Just a bit of trivia. The little town of Sweetwater, Texas has produced the likes of Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh, professional wrestler Black Jack Mulligan (the Wyndam Family), professional poker legend Doyle Brunson, and of course my dad, Bob Henson Baptist preacher. I guess that is the point. Country music reminds me of Texas like good hot dogs and good pizza remind me of Chicago. My parents always tell me that Texas is a good place to be from. That means that they ain’t going back, but it does hold a lot of memories.
When I am reminded of Texas I am reminded of a lot of great things like the type of food they eat down there. The BBQ is fabulous and of course there is the fried stuff. Country fried steak. Fried catfish. Fried okra. Oh, you betcha! And my grandmother used to make stuff like green enchiladas, pimento cheese sandwiches, Frito pie, and Jell-O in the shape of fruit and fish. We would go to Sweetwater for a couple of weeks in the summer and every day at lunch my grandmother would break out the leftovers from the preceding suppers (they eat supper down there not dinner) and it would be a smorgasbord of Texas treats. My grandfather would come home from work at the railroad for lunch and we would listen to Paul Harvey while we ate Texas style. Now you know the rest of the story.
I know. You are wondering what is the point? There ain't one. Just…Play Something Country. You might like it…then again…you might not.
When I am reminded of Texas I am reminded of a lot of great things like the type of food they eat down there. The BBQ is fabulous and of course there is the fried stuff. Country fried steak. Fried catfish. Fried okra. Oh, you betcha! And my grandmother used to make stuff like green enchiladas, pimento cheese sandwiches, Frito pie, and Jell-O in the shape of fruit and fish. We would go to Sweetwater for a couple of weeks in the summer and every day at lunch my grandmother would break out the leftovers from the preceding suppers (they eat supper down there not dinner) and it would be a smorgasbord of Texas treats. My grandfather would come home from work at the railroad for lunch and we would listen to Paul Harvey while we ate Texas style. Now you know the rest of the story.
I know. You are wondering what is the point? There ain't one. Just…Play Something Country. You might like it…then again…you might not.
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