I
am a big fan of country music. It’s the only kind of music my dad would allow
growing up—it was WYRK on the radio and CMT Sunday countdowns. My dad always
said that country music was “good music.” I never fully understood why he
thought this, until today’s class. In class, we talked about American values and the Agrarian Ideal. As a new country in the 1700’s, America deemed country and farming as good and virtuous. Thomas Jefferson said,
“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most
to real wealth, good morals and happiness.” These virtues of agriculture came
from farmers’ hard work, toughness, and self-sufficiency. And without these values
and ideals, the nation would crumble. Teddy Roosevelt writes, “We were founded as a
nation of farmers, and in spite of the great growth of our industrial life it
still remains true that our whole system rests upon the farm, that the welfare
of the whole community depends upon the welfare of the farmer. The
strengthening of the country life is the strengthening of the whole nation.”
The
Agrarian ideal and many of the American values (virtuous, good,
self-sufficient, independent, sturdy, hard working, tough, wholesome, etc.) are
in almost all of today’s country songs. (I think this is why my dad considers country music to be "good music.") Take a look a just a few:
“Strong” by Will Hoge
Agrarian Ideal/American values: a farmer/countryman is
strong, steady, reliable, trustworthy, loyal, and dogged
Lyrics:
He's a twenty year straight get
to work on time
He's a love one woman for all
his life
He's a shirt off his back give
you his last dime
He's strong
He's a need to move something
you can use my truck
He's an overtime worker when
the bills pile up
Everybody knows he ain't just
tough
He's strong
Strong
He'll pick you up and won't let
you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him
off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
It ain't what he can carry what
he can lift
It's a dirt road lesson talkin
to his kids
Bout how to hold your ground
and how to live
Strong
He's strong
He'll pick you up and won't let
you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him
off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
Strong
Like the river rollin
Strong
Gonna keep on going
Strong
When the road runs out
They gonna keep on talkin about
How he was strong
Strong
He'll pick you up and won't let
you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him
off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
Everybody knows he ain't just
tough
He's
strong
“Red Dirt Road” by Brooks and Dunn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtPcPEUBp-w
Agrarian Ideal/American Values: the country is pious and
close to God
Lyrics:
It's where I drank my first
beer
It's where I found Jesus
Where I wrecked my first car
I tore it all to pieces
I learned the path to heaven is
full of sinners and believers
Learned that happiness on earth
ain't just for high achievers
I've learned I've come to know
There's life at both ends
Of that
red dirt road
“These Are My People” by
Rodney Atkins
Agrarian Ideal/American Values: country/farm
life has a sense of community—a special bond
Lyrics:
These are my people
This is where I come from
We're givin' this life
everything we've got and then some
It ain't always pretty
But it's real
That's the way we were made
Wouldn't have it any other way
These
are my people
“Fly Over States” by
Jason Aldean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H0A4AFmZwM
Agrarian Ideal/American Values: the
fly over states are holy with hard work invested in them
Lyrics:
Just a bunch of square
cornfields and wheat farms,
Man, it all looks the same,
Miles and miles of back roads
and highways,
Connecting little towns with
funny names,
Who'd want to live down there
in the middle of nowhere?
They've never drove through
Indiana,
Met the men who plowed that
earth,
Planted that seed, busted his
ass for you and me,
Or caught a harvest moon in
Kansas,
They'd understand why god made
Those fly over states
“Amarillo Sky” by Jason
Aldean
Agrarian Ideal/American Values: Farmers
are hard working, virtuous people
Lyrics:
He gets up before the dawn;
Packs a lunch an' a thermos
full of coffee.
It's another day in the dusty
haze;
Those burnin' rays are wearin'
down his body.
The diesels worth the price of
gold;
It's the cheapest grain he's
ever sold,
But he's still holdin' on.
He just takes the tractor
another round,
An' pulls the plow across the
ground,
And sends up another prayer.
He says: "Lord, I never
complain, I never ask: 'Why?'
"Please don't let my
dreams run dry,
"Underneath, underneath
this Amarillo Sky."
That hail storm back in '83,
Sure did take a toll on his
family.
But he stayed strong and
carried on,
Just like his Dad and Granddad
did before him.
On his knees every night,
He prays: "Please let my
crops and children grow,"
'Cause that's all he's ever
known.
“Dirt” by Florida Georgia Line
Agrarian Ideal/American Values: wholesomeness
Lyrics:
“You
know you came from it and someday you’ll return to this...”
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