Country music may not necessarily have a monopoly on the best songs but it certainly has a monopoly on the best song titles.
Off the top of my head - Dropkick Me Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life, My Son Calls Another Man Daddy, Rock Bottom Population 1 and She Took a Lot of Pills (and Died)
My particular favourite though is She's Acting Single (I'm Drinking Doubles) by 70's honky tonk singer Gary Stewart. Other suggestions welcomed
Gary was a bit of a method singer in that his lifestyle often mirrored the song titles particularly where the demon drink was involved.
He had a somewhat Country ending at the age of 59 dying from self inflicted gunshot wounds to the neck while mourning the death of his wife Mary Lou.
I picked up a Best Of in Oxfam just prior to my holidays.
Gary Stewart - She's Acting Single (I'm Drinking Doubles)
Gary Stewart - She's Got a Drinking Problem
Kinky Friedman - "Get your Biscuits In The Oven And Your Buns In The Bed".
ReplyDeleteJerry Reed - "She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft"
Ray Stevens - "Get Your Tongue Out of My Mouth, Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye"
L.E. White & Lola Jean Dillon - "You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" (this is a better version than the one by Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty although Lola Jean's giggle can get a bit annoying)
I knew a bit about Gary Clark songs because he did "We Made It as Lovers (We Just Couldn't Make It as Friends)" and a terrific country song called "She Sings Amazing Grace"* which was also covered by Jerry Lee Lewis and is one of my all time favourites by The Killer.
ReplyDeleteThe Jerry Lee Lewis title is "She Sang Amazing Grace". Jerry also did a wonderfully titled "I'm Throwing Rice" (At The Girl That I Love)" and "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye".
If it's not the fantastic song titles it's the lyrics. No other genre comes close.
ReplyDeleteNew series? Good idea!
ReplyDeleteHere's my 2 cents: Jerry Lee's What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out Of Me), George Jones and Tammy Wynette's Sick, Sober & Sorry, and Waylon's I've Been A Long Time Leaving (But I'll Be A Long Time Gone)
Some great suggestions here. It's a series waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteHow about the best opening lines in country? My favourite: "I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison."
ReplyDeleteYou Never Even Called Me by My Name - written by Steve Goodman and John Prine.
ReplyDeleteSteve did this marvellous p***take of the Country & Western shlock in this video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QUSQJQml40
Add my vote to this for a series.
ReplyDeleteOff the top of my head...
You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave) - George Jones
My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend (& I Sure Do Miss Him)
And, of course...
If You Don't Like Hank Williams (You Can Kiss My Ass) - Kris Kristofferson