I have spent a good portion of my life making fun of country music. The belt buckles, cowboy hats, sweet tea, gun racks, NASCAR, etc. When I met my wife the biggest difference wasn't that she was catholic and I wasn't, it was that she enjoyed country music and I found it revolting. Today I just bought tickets to see Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum.
As I sit here listening to Tim McGraw on Pandora Radio I can't help but thinking how far I've come. I'm not a fan of country music, but lets say I am trying to appreciate it. If I had to point to when it started I would suppose when I met Lauren. If I let her pick what we listened to in the car it invariably would end up being country. I'd make fun of it, but I figured maybe I'd try to find some redeeming quality in it. It wasn't easy when you'd listen to a song like "She Thinks My Tractors Sexy" or "Indian Outlaw".
My parents were big into rock n' roll. I grew up on Clapton, The Beatles, Billy Joel, The Who, The Doors, Jethro Tull, Aerosmith, etc. Mixed in there were the Allman Brothers and Skynard which is where I think the bridge would be between rock and country. Rock wasn't invented by the Beatles, it came from the south, the blues, and somewhere along the line it moved north and became rock and stayed south and became country (that sounded right but I'm sure that isn't 100% accurate).
Just about 3 years of marriage and nearly 7 years together and I can listen to country music without pretending to gag or making believe I'm wearing a giant belt buckle with a steer on it. I can't say it was easy, but I also can't say I hate country music anymore. Hell maybe I'll pick up a cowboy hat for the concert, it would hide my receding hairline.
LOL on the tractor title.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on 1950s music my older siblings put in our 78RPM jukebox. 1960s ~ Motown/Philly ~ not much into rock and roll ~ popular groups ~ might listen to Beach Boys, Beatles, Doors, started listening to WNJR ~ a whole new world of music for me.
The ex was all C &W and 50s music. Said they stopped making good music, the same year I bought my first 45RPM.
Brother Robert and wife, Pat loved Hank Williams. So did the ex. I got to like some C & W music through the years.
I try to watch Country Music TV now-a-days because it is the only music tv that plays music. I do not last long.
Did not know that Lauren liked Country.
I liked Bob Seager, 3 Dog Night, Eagles a favorite, not much into Santana, but saw Carlos perform at The Rock House Church in Long Beach. Rolling Stones, Queen and other rock & roll songs.
ReplyDeleteNot much into heavy metal. Did not know Taylor Swift until you posted about her on Facebook.