Dumbing Down - It Happens

As far as conditioned, desensitized, brainwashed, dumbed-down, evangelical "mainstream" Christianity, a scenario from the world of country music comes to mind. The story I'm gonna share here isn't a first hand account. I may not have every fact spot on. It's a story that's become a part of music business and studio world lore - which is where it was communicated to me a few years ago. It's a true story, however.


To set the background a bit, a lot of country music "purists" point directly to Garth Brooks for the poor state country music hit in the mid and late 90s. While he was wildly successful, and a very talented vocalist/entertainer, his artistry was considered rather shallow in a lot of ways - less music-oriented, more flash-oriented. He opened the door for marginally talented people like Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and Shania Twain to become mega-stars - while singing shallow songs but putting on elaborate, sexy stage shows. Before long, country music became a bunch of largely urban people (who wouldn't know a billy-goat from their elbow) trying to write and sing songs about things they thought sounded country. It was all very shallow, and something of an affront to people who were devoted to the music. Purists left in droves (which is part of the reason bluegrass artists like Allison Krauss began to find a larger audience in the 90s - country music purists who appreciated artistry needed a place to go). Things got so bad that one major trade paper featured a cover with a caption that said "Can This Man Save Country Music?" under a photo of Brian White. Brian freakin' White. But...the people who weren't genuinely devoted to the craft and artistry of country music stayed with it, and celebrated the shallow, untalented acts and shallow songs, unable or unwilling to discern any difference.


Now, to the story...


Paul Overstreet is one of the greatest songwriters ever in any genre of music. It'd take a week's worth of posts to list all of his hits. Among his hits in the country music genre (as performed by him and by other artists) are "Forever and Ever, Amen", "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love", "Dance A Little Closer To Me", and "Love Can Build A Bridge". Great, great songs. Classics, with deep, moving, and provocative lyrics. 


In the late 90s, he'd spent some time focusing on songwriting (from what I heard, he'd been on a "getaway" of some sort to do this writing), and came away with 6 or 8 of what he considered some of the better songs he'd ever written. He took them into the studio and made demos, and then proudly took them to present them to the record label. Again, he considered these songs to be some of the very best he'd ever written - and considering his catalogue, that's saying something.


The record company hated them. They told him they weren't commercial enough and they wouldn't be able to do anything with them.


He went home furious, steaming at the shallow crap that country music had become, steaming at what passed for a "song" within the industry. He sat down, and almost as a joke and to make a point, he determined to write the worst, most cheesy, crappy, shallow song he could possibly write. This is one of the greatest songwriters ever making a specific, determined effort to write the worst song he could write. He then went into the studio and made a demo of it to give to the record company. When he finished, this was the fruit of his labor...


"She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy"


The record label loved it. They pitched it to Kenny Chesney. He loved it. He recorded it, and it went to #1.




316, anyone?


Might be time to give bluegrass a try.