I grew up listening to country music. While I was driving a tractor though the summer it was a big chunk of my listening. I still listen to it some, but overall our family’s radio dial isn’t on country music anymore.
One of the biggest complaints I have is the amount of songs that focus on partying and getting drunk, not to mention the ones that are focused on sex.
I know what you are thinking–country music has always gone hand-and-hand with alcohol. While there is some truth to this; country songs in the 80s and 90s did have lots of alcohol references. But I think it has changed significantly in the amount and type of references. It is no longer just a passing reference, or a focus on the bottle being an answer, but many songs are about binge drinking or extolling the glory of alcohol. “The old guys were regretfully drunk,” says songwriter Adam Wright, “The new guys are proud to be drunk. There’s a little bit of a different spin.”¹
I went through Billboard’s current top 25 Hot Country songs and found that 5 of them were expressly focused on this theme. One of the songs, “Sun Daze” has the line, “I want to wear my favorite shades and get stoned.” The top 25 has songs titles like “A Guy Walks into a Bar,” “Neon Lights,” “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” and “Drinking Class.”
Over the last few years other songs have been popular like “Bartender,” “Drunk on a Plane,” “Cold One,” “Sunshine and Whiskey,” “Day Drinking,” “Rum,” and the most appalling song, “Beer with Jesus.”
Not only has this preacher noticed this trend but the industry itself has observed this trend with some concern (check out this article: Does Country Music Need Alcohol Intervention?). This music appeals to the “party crowd.” Radio station owners don’t like so many alcohol-themed songs. In fact, the industry has tried to move back from so many of these songs as the industry was out of balance.¹
I assure you I have no power or influence in the country music industry to stop this type of music. But Christians should be aware of this trend. I think it reflects the binge drinking, party atmosphere of much of our worldly culture. We should guard our children against this type of music. I remember when I grew up, “rock” or “heavy metal” music were the scorn of the church, but country music was overall considered pretty safe. While this may not have been the case then, it certainly is not now!!
I will close with a story from a fellow father of young children at church. He said he was listening to the radio one day going to work and counted like 10 songs in a row that he would not want his young girls to hear. They were all about drinking or improper sexual relationships. The rest of us need to join him and turn the radio off if this is the type of music the country industry is going to produce!
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¹ http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/6193478/country-music-alcohol-intervention
1 comment
For many years I have avoided listening to secular music for the reasons you have outlined. I chose to listen to music that meets the following criteria. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8. Music is a form of meditation, chose to meditate on positives.