9781422274354

small town, or a moment in life, such as the feeling at the exact moment someone walks away. Many country songs speak about things that the singer has learned. For example, the Garth Brooks song “The Dance” is sung from the perspective of a man whose romantic relationship has ended. The singer says he could have avoided the heartache of breaking up if he had only known in advance what would happen. However, he goes onto to say, that he was better off not knowing because otherwise he would also have missed some of the most special moments in his life. The lyrics of country songs are easy for many people to relate to. They describe emotions that everyone feels, even if the events aren’t familiar. They also often express the major events that are happening in the world around us. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, there were many country songs that said Americans wouldn’t be broken or defeated. Many songs include a patriotic message, one that supports the country and government. This trend of patriotism helped to divide country music from the earlier folk music genre in the 1960s and 1970s. The lyrics of country music also speak of the working man. In the beginning, many songs involved railroad workers, cowboys, or coal miners. Over the years, songs have been written about Americans with other occupations, such as truck drivers and factory workers. Country songs often extoll the virtues of working hard, raising a family, and helping others. Women who sing country music often express their own attitudes. Some sing romantic love songs, like singers in other musical genres, but others have more sass. One of Loretta Lynn’s early hits, “Fist City,” was sung from the perspective of a angry woman who was threatening to beat up another woman for “lovin’ my man.” More recently, singers like Jo Dee Messina and Carrie Underwood scored big hits with songs about cheating boyfriends. Many country songs today depict strong women who

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Country