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American country music buff here. Until recently Ghanaian music was mostly about the lyrics—it was impossible to make music that didn’t have great lyrics about

American country music buff here. Until recently Ghanaian music was mostly about the lyrics—it was impossible to make music that didn’t have great lyrics about love, life, work, religion, you name it. Music was a great instructor in traditional values. For lovers of the old music American country music fits right in since it’s probably the only(?) music export from the US that doesn't glorify crime, debauchery, all the non-traditional African values. I've lost count of the number of times music lyrics have suggested themselves in critical times for me: when apologizing, showing appreciation, expressing love, offering consolation, offering encouragement, you name it.

Thorentis 4y ago
A fantastic observation, and a sad indictment on modern American culture.
- tzs 4y ago
  What do you mean modern? And American? Such music has a long history. For instance Mozart's "Leck mich im Arsch" from 1782 [1]. The title is German for "Lick me in the ass". Or Bach's cantata "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht" (German for "Be still, stop chattering") which glorifies addiction to coffee [2]. (Turn on closed captioning to see an English translation). [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C78HBp-Youk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C78HBp-Youk [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nifUBDgPhl4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nifUBDgPhl4
rayiner 4y ago
I realized I was in love with my now wife (we had been on a few dates at that point) while in the car listening to a country song. I like other music fine, but I’m to old to relate to any of it.
rufus_foreman 4y ago
>> For lovers of the old music American country music fits right in since it’s probably the only(?) music export from the US that doesn't glorify crime, debauchery Early one morning while making the rounds I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down Went right home and I went to bed I stuck that loving 44 beneath my head
- Fargoan 4y ago
  6 in the morning, police at my door I read the Johnny Cash lines in the same cadence as Schooly D or Ice T. No idea if it's the same, never heard the Johnny Cash song
  - rufus_foreman 4y ago
    Sounds like we need a mash-up. There's a Cash/Eazy-E one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2zlIIcH7SY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2zlIIcH7SY
astrange 4y ago
There's certainly country music about those things, or at least there's a lot about drinking and doing drugs. But if you hide all the references under a layer of irony, people can just not notice it and be happy.
grapeskin 4y ago
> For lovers of the old music American country music fits right in since it’s probably the only(?) music export from the US that doesn't glorify crime, debauchery, all the non-traditional African values Since the 90s I recall country music being full of cheating on your girl, getting drunk, kicking someone's ass, and so on. Other pop music is more about getting girls in the club or whatever, but country has fairly similar lyrical content.
- markrages 4y ago
  Or shooting a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
  - quacked 4y ago
    Everyone always brings this song up. It's very clear that Cash is playing a character of a foolish and almost-repentant criminal in the song; traditional American music records were half morality plays on rogues and half religious pleas for virtue. It is an unfair comparison to modern hip-hop, which is primarily warrior bragodoccio. Go to WorldStar if you want to see.
    - rufus_foreman 4y ago
      Don't see what the difference is between Cash and Gang Starr's Just to get a Rep. Here's where it ends up, that's the story and that's the song. There's some bragodoccio in it, both Cash and Gang Starr. Just to get a Rep is a morality play.
      - quacked 4y ago
        Yes, that would be a clever comparison, if that's the sort of hip-hop that's become popular internationally. How about Cash and a modern rapper that people today have actually heard of, as the original commenter is talking about? Please, go to WorldStar and grab one of the top songs and then try to equate Folsom Prison Blues with it. As a matter of fact, I'll start. Here's "Holy Ghost" by Future, one of the most popular artists alive right now: > Feeling like a cigarette boat, all this water on me > I was at my big truck, my wrist up, gettin' my dick sucked > When I switch my wrist up, switch my car, switch my bitch up > Every time I hit her, I broke her off then dismissed her > I been counting this paper all day, I'm getting blisters > Roadkill, every time I pop out in a new whip > Gettin' you wacked, niggas ain't running off with my new drip > Rolls hit, lights hit, platinum set, overkill And here's Cash: > When I was just a young boy, my mama told me son > Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns > But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die > Now I hear that train a rollin', I hang my head and cry Wow, so similar. You can really see how they're both speaking the same language overall and have the same effect on society and their listeners. To be clear, I am sure that you can find nakedly self-indulgent and violent country music if you look hard for it. But you won't find it on the top of the country charts. You don't have to look hard at all to find outrageously vulgar, explicit, and criminal hip-hop. People need to stop pretending that Folsom Prison Blues holds the same place in culture that "Holy Ghost" and its ilk does because it tells the story of a man who shot someone.
ydlr 4y ago
As another American country music buff, all my favorite country songs glorify crime, debauchery, and non-traditional values. I guess that is another great thing about the genre... its breadth.
nateberkopec 4y ago
If I get stoned, I’m just carrying on an old family tradition.
- Ancapistani 4y ago
  I’ll raise you his son’s words: Because I'm drinkin', druggin': I'm havin' lots of fun I always carry round my loaded shotgun If I think I'm gonna have a bad time I got a little bit of smoke an' a whole lotta wine Or better yet: Well, there's blood on the carpet an' holes in the walls Well, it must've been them pills I took Yeah, the mirrors are all busted an' someone's cryin' It must've been them pills I took

Thorentis 4y ago

A fantastic observation, and a sad indictment on modern American culture.

tzs 4y ago
What do you mean modern? And American? Such music has a long history. For instance Mozart's "Leck mich im Arsch" from 1782 [1]. The title is German for "Lick me in the ass". Or Bach's cantata "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht" (German for "Be still, stop chattering") which glorifies addiction to coffee [2]. (Turn on closed captioning to see an English translation). [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C78HBp-Youk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C78HBp-Youk [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nifUBDgPhl4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nifUBDgPhl4

rayiner 4y ago

I realized I was in love with my now wife (we had been on a few dates at that point) while in the car listening to a country song. I like other music fine, but I’m to old to relate to any of it.

rufus_foreman 4y ago

>> For lovers of the old music American country music fits right in since it’s probably the only(?) music export from the US that doesn't glorify crime, debauchery Early one morning while making the rounds I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down Went right home and I went to bed I stuck that loving 44 beneath my head

Fargoan 4y ago
6 in the morning, police at my door I read the Johnny Cash lines in the same cadence as Schooly D or Ice T. No idea if it's the same, never heard the Johnny Cash song
- rufus_foreman 4y ago
  Sounds like we need a mash-up. There's a Cash/Eazy-E one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2zlIIcH7SY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2zlIIcH7SY

astrange 4y ago

There's certainly country music about those things, or at least there's a lot about drinking and doing drugs. But if you hide all the references under a layer of irony, people can just not notice it and be happy.

grapeskin 4y ago

> For lovers of the old music American country music fits right in since it’s probably the only(?) music export from the US that doesn't glorify crime, debauchery, all the non-traditional African values Since the 90s I recall country music being full of cheating on your girl, getting drunk, kicking someone's ass, and so on. Other pop music is more about getting girls in the club or whatever, but country has fairly similar lyrical content.

markrages 4y ago
Or shooting a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
- quacked 4y ago
  Everyone always brings this song up. It's very clear that Cash is playing a character of a foolish and almost-repentant criminal in the song; traditional American music records were half morality plays on rogues and half religious pleas for virtue. It is an unfair comparison to modern hip-hop, which is primarily warrior bragodoccio. Go to WorldStar if you want to see.
  - rufus_foreman 4y ago
    Don't see what the difference is between Cash and Gang Starr's Just to get a Rep. Here's where it ends up, that's the story and that's the song. There's some bragodoccio in it, both Cash and Gang Starr. Just to get a Rep is a morality play.
    - quacked 4y ago
      Yes, that would be a clever comparison, if that's the sort of hip-hop that's become popular internationally. How about Cash and a modern rapper that people today have actually heard of, as the original commenter is talking about? Please, go to WorldStar and grab one of the top songs and then try to equate Folsom Prison Blues with it. As a matter of fact, I'll start. Here's "Holy Ghost" by Future, one of the most popular artists alive right now: > Feeling like a cigarette boat, all this water on me > I was at my big truck, my wrist up, gettin' my dick sucked > When I switch my wrist up, switch my car, switch my bitch up > Every time I hit her, I broke her off then dismissed her > I been counting this paper all day, I'm getting blisters > Roadkill, every time I pop out in a new whip > Gettin' you wacked, niggas ain't running off with my new drip > Rolls hit, lights hit, platinum set, overkill And here's Cash: > When I was just a young boy, my mama told me son > Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns > But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die > Now I hear that train a rollin', I hang my head and cry Wow, so similar. You can really see how they're both speaking the same language overall and have the same effect on society and their listeners. To be clear, I am sure that you can find nakedly self-indulgent and violent country music if you look hard for it. But you won't find it on the top of the country charts. You don't have to look hard at all to find outrageously vulgar, explicit, and criminal hip-hop. People need to stop pretending that Folsom Prison Blues holds the same place in culture that "Holy Ghost" and its ilk does because it tells the story of a man who shot someone.

ydlr 4y ago

As another American country music buff, all my favorite country songs glorify crime, debauchery, and non-traditional values. I guess that is another great thing about the genre... its breadth.

nateberkopec 4y ago

If I get stoned, I’m just carrying on an old family tradition.

Ancapistani 4y ago
I’ll raise you his son’s words: Because I'm drinkin', druggin': I'm havin' lots of fun I always carry round my loaded shotgun If I think I'm gonna have a bad time I got a little bit of smoke an' a whole lotta wine Or better yet: Well, there's blood on the carpet an' holes in the walls Well, it must've been them pills I took Yeah, the mirrors are all busted an' someone's cryin' It must've been them pills I took