Story time!
I grew up in San Jose, California. Not exactly the country music capitol of the world, but there's bound to be a station or two featuring country music where'er you go. I guess my mom liked country because my first recollections of singing out loud to music (to something besides Raffi) were to the tunes of Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and the like. Oh how loud we would sing "She's in Love with the Boy!" "X's and O's", and "Tall Tall Trees"! I loved me some country music. I would sit down with album booklets and memorize lyrics and then dance around in circles whilst singing them at the top of my lungs. I will forever hold a special place in my heart for these albums:
Flash forward to 1995 when we moved to Redmond, WA. I was 10 and in the 5th grade. Upon introducing myself I said I liked country music and was immediately scorned and made a laughing stock. Who knew 10 year olds could be so mean and degrading? I vowed never to listen to country music again. So I switched to alternative music like The Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty and Third Eye Blind, then as I went through high school I got into more hard core bands like Rage Against the Machine, Chevelle, and Linkin Park. I do love some good screamo, which seems so out of my shy and reserved character. But it's true: I'm a closet hard rocker.
Still. There's nothing like the feeling of listening to a good ol' country song with the windows down and the wind rushing through your hair. Lately, Taylor Swift has rekindled my passion for that twang and honkey tonk. I have a major girl crush on that girl! She has the voice I've always wanted and the looks to go with it.
I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to say that I love country music anymore. And even though I only listen to it in rare moments when I'm driving alone in the car, it always brings me back to growing up in California and singing with my mom.
I totally know how you feel! I think I must be the only Hispanic person who listens to country music...regularly and knows the lyrics to the not-so-popular songs. But not so many people know that. I remember when the Dixie Chicks came out with Wide Open Spaces...still love that song!
ReplyDeleteI was the exact same way! The Judd's and Shania were my favs. Then I gave it up at the risk of being uncool but listened to it again in high school along with other music. I love music in general but it is silly to think that one type can be "cool" and one be SO uncool.
ReplyDeleteoh I love country music too, there is no shame! :)
ReplyDeletePut on some cowgirl boots and rock out! That's what I do :)
ReplyDeleteThere's no shame! I grew up in Kirkland and started listening to country in junior high (Garth Brooks, swoon!) I recently found an XM station that plays country songs from those good ol' days ... so fun. It's amazing how I remember the words of songs I haven't heard in 20 years!
ReplyDeleteI was never a huge fan of country music - but one of my housemates was!! So we often listened to her country albums as we cleaned and what not. A pretty awesome (well I think so) Australian country singer is Kasey Chambers! I have a couple of her albums that I will crank out occasionally!
ReplyDeletei am a former closet fan, too, but now i rock it loud and proud! well, on occasion, not 24/7!! ;) *
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE country music. Here's my story if you're interested. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAs a kid? I HATED it. With.A.Passion. Honestly, it gave me a headache every time I listened to it. My sister's best friend LOVED it, so I was forced to listen to it when we would hang out. UGH. Not even kidding... it made me nauseated. I still remember that feeling. :-p My dad listened to Oldies and Classic Rock, so that's what I loved. :-)
Then going into high school, we moved to a VERY small town in CO. There were only country stations... and one Classic Rock. ;-) But I felt like everyone in the whole school loved country except me. LOL. :-p
Then I go off to college... still loathing country music. And as it turned out... my best friend in college, the first girl I met when I moved into my dorm, LOVED it. LOOOOOVED it. And it became her goal in life to get me to love country music. LOL. So she played me her favorites (Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Deana Carter, Kenny Rogers), and I ended up finding songs I liked! SHOCK!
I found myself watching the country music channel on TV, JUST so I could catch those few country songs I liked. And what happened? Well, I fell in love with all of them. LOL. And then I listened to NOTHING, but country and bought TONS of country CDs. :-D
Then I went home and got my dad and sister hooked on country. HEEEEE! Now we all love country, and my sister and I have even been to an amazing concert (Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jamie O'Neal, and Sarah Evans)!
p.s. Love "She's in Love with the Boy!" That's one of the first country songs I loved. :-) Also love "It Matters to Me" by Faith Hill!
*Sorry for my novel, but I really liked your post. :-)
Hahaha. I think I was in 3rd grade when I was asked what my fave music was by some of the girls in my girl scout troop. When I said country they laughed at me too & I was so embarrassed. That's all I listened to with my mom so that's all I knew. I still love it though!!
ReplyDeleteYeah for the bay area!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I had the same issue. Lol. However instead of the screamo stuff, I'd listen to the Backstreet Boys. Haha. Should I be ashamed that I'm sharing that publicly?! Hehe.
I'm actually surprised you listen I the hard stuff.
Yeah for the bay area!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I had the same issue. Lol. However instead of the screamo stuff, I'd listen to the Backstreet Boys. Haha. Should I be ashamed that I'm sharing that publicly?! Hehe.
I'm actually surprised you listen I the hard stuff.
GREAT post!
ReplyDelete:)
Yeeee haw!
ReplyDeleteThe song "she's in live with the boy" will forever remind me of you!!! I remember you introducing it to Maren and I when we were little so of course we thought it was the coolest thing ever! Haha
ReplyDeleteAs long as you don't start listening to Rap, Hip Hop, or Techno stuff, you can still be my daughter.
ReplyDeletemy mom loves country also, Shania's "the woman in me" was on replay in our house as well as anything reba. Closet country rocker here too. haha
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. I found myself in country music, grew up with it, and just couldn't LOVE it any more! Fortunately, it made me cool in my small town, country, home crowd ;).
ReplyDelete