Like most people, one thing that I’ve found to move me is music. However, what makes me a little different than a vast majority of my peers is that I like country music. To me, country is a fascinating genre in its ability to evoke different emotional responses through lyrical use. Mixing the satirical with the serious or the romantic with the comical. One such piece that I’ve always found both catchy and fascinating is “Queen of my Doublewide” by Sammy Kershaw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncGZWQGkNzc&NR=1
In the song Sammy sings about his pursuit of a down home debutante and about how it is the simple (if not hoaky) pleasures in life that makes them happy. At first glance one might think that this is purely meant as a love song, the classic story of a man trying to woo the object of his affection. However, classic of the country music genre, the song also has a humorous appeal.
Country fans and musicians love to poke fun at their own absurdities, this can be seen in the clever lyrical composition of the song at hand. Often times in society using a trailer as a home is rather looked down upon, reflected in such derogatory terms as trailer trash, etc. This song takes that image and puts it on its ear, proposing that living the life of a trailer dweller (though perhaps tacky as represented by the “polyester curtains and redwood deck”, and especially reflected in the music video) can be luxurious if not preferable to other ways of life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuu_i65c-1M&feature=channel
Similar rhetorical usage can be seen in Sammy Kershaw’s, “Vidalia”. Which at first glance is simply a song about a guy in his pursuance of a girl who’s name is a combination of her mother, Violet’s, and her father, Dale’s, names. But again the song has a humorous undertone. For some background info, a vidalia is a type of onion that is particularly sweet and grown exclusively in the Vidalia region of Georgia (analogous to that of the Champagne region of France, I suppose). So it adds to the humor of the piece, supposing that the relationship between a man and an ironically named girl have similar effects as dealing with her namesake.
These and other songs like it are why I listen to country music. Because what better way to nurse a broken heart, or temper the frustration of being rejected, than by adding a little levity to what you're listening to.
A compilation of college students views and ideas, hosted in a friendly, open-minded setting.
"Frank"
About Me, Frank
My name is Frank. I was born in Poughkeepsie. Here is a little bit about me. I like long walks on the beach and a nice plate of spaghetti. I have the largest collection of Care Bears east of the Mississippi. I firmly believe Tupac is still alive. I only eat cookies in even numbers. When I was seven my older brothers convinced me that I was adopted, and my real mother was a chicken. They said I needed to eat one omelet every day to survive. My cholesterol skyrocketed for seven weeks. I’m currently running for governor of Alaska, I hear they are letting anyone in these days.
About Me, JhnyNrthFrk
I am a senior at UW-Madison, and I plan on majoring in legal studies with a certificate in criminal justice. I was born and raised in the small town of East Troy, which is about 30 minutes southwest of Milwaukee. I greatly enjoy the outdoors, and love to hunt, fish, camp, hike, or do whatever gets me out and about outside. I also enjoy having the opportunity to just sit and talk to people, many times its fascinating to hear what other people think and what they’ve experienced in the past. This summer I finished up my criminal justice certificate by working at the Youth Job Center, where I helped delinquent and underprivileged teens find jobs. It was very rewarding, but I mainly learned that I’m not really cut out to work in an office setting. I get anxious and bored and just want to escape from the stuffy building and humming fluorescent lights into the outdoors. For the two summers before that, I worked on a dude ranch in Colorado. While there I took people on hikes, taught guests how to shoot, maintained the facilities, and cleared a lot of trails and pastureland. In fact, my blog name (JhnyNrthFrk), comes from the nickname that I had at the ranch, with North Fork being the name of the ranch. Once I graduate, which should be in the spring, I plan on backpacking through Europe for a couple weeks, with several friends of mine from high school as well as college. Shortly after that, during the summer, I’ll be working in Alaska as a wilderness firefighter. Finally, once the fire season is over, I plan on getting a job with the US Border Patrol, as a border patrol officer. I’ve entertained some thoughts of law school, but I’m not quite ready to make the heavy commitment, and will probably go after several years of working with the Border Patrol (with some much needed cash in my pocket). I believe that in the field of law, it will be beneficial to have law enforcement experience, and to bring that viewpoint to the table.
About Me, Danny
I am a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in history, an entirely useless degree. I graduate in May, at which point I assume I will just become a drifter or something. My main passion is traveling. I've been to 6 of the continents, but have sadly not been able to find a cheap and practical way to make it to Antarctica to make it an even 7. My most notable trips are when I backpacked by myself in Japan for a month last summer and when I studied in Cairo for four months last fall. If I could find a way to write and travel for a living, I would be happy. Samantha Brown doesn't know how good she has it. I recently started writing for the Daily Cardinal. It started out as sort of a joke, to be honest (I got the job by sending the editor a review of the Beverly Hills Chihuahua trailer), but they liked my writing and started giving me pretty cool assignments. Oh, I also have a new puppy named Bark Antony. I surprised my mom with him, and she called me a dumbass 8 times in one 10-minute conversation. But I think she secretly loves him. Anyway, enough about me. What have you been up to lately? Are you still dating that guy? He's a loser, dump him.
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