Saw the recent BBC doc about Nashville – described on their website as; ‘‘Whispering’ Bob Harris journeys to America’s country music capital and reveals why Nashville became Music City USA. From the beginnings of the Grand Ole Opry on commercial radio, through the threatening onset of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s, right up to the modern mainstream hits of Music Row, this is the story of how music has shaped Nashville and why today it’s a place of pilgrimage for musicians from all over the world.’
Bob Harris is an easy-going and knowledgeable host and gave a good over-view of Nashville’s history along with the leading stars who made it so important. However, most of the recent singers and their songs seemed bland despite Bob’s assertion to the contrary (and the girl who sang about gay rights and smoking pot? New? Phew!) probably wouldn’t have got away with it without her old-fashioned good looks. The main trouble, to my mind, is that though country music artists make a point of mentioning their humble origins (and their audience’s) but ignore much of that in their lyrics. Instead they mostly sing about the same thing – love (or lack of it). One of the main reasons, I guess, is commercial – the same as for pop.
When I went to Oklahoma a few years ago (for Woody Fest, the Woody Guthrie* annual festival) we flew from Canada over the Mid West and I was amazed to see a seemingly endless patchwork of giant fields. Brought up on old cowboy films which portrayed America as wild, rugged and mostly mountainous I was somewhat disappointed to see this tame chequerboard. I later watched a documentary about factory farming – how most farms now keep thousands of animals penned up indoors – and my disillusionment was complete. America still peddles the old cowboy image of itself, especially through country music, but it’s long ceased to be true. Anyway, I wrote ‘Ghost of an Apache’ in response.
*Woody Guthrie could never have been accused of ignoring ‘real’ issues in his writing. Maybe that was because he cared far more about people and their problems than commercial success.
THE GHOST OF AN APACHE Ch: Have you seen that lonesome cowboy, riding on a long lost trail? Searching for redemption, but you know he’s bound to fail. His old skin is tough as leather, but his heart is paper thin. He’ll survive in any weather, hat pulled down against the wind. Way up on the High Sierra, gotta be some kind of fool Like the ghost of an Apache, as stubborn as a mule. Looking down upon the prairie – nothing moving any way, Though it may be good for business, guess that’s how things are today. Now that he’s a factory farmer riding in a four-by-four, Fifty thousand head o’ cattle all penned up behind closed doors. Though his lips are cracked and broken, he still sings Hank Williams’ blues. Got a bottle in his holster and a six gun he can’t use. It’s a lesson for all greenhorns, but do any of them care? Ain’t nothing grand about the canyon, when you’re long gone down there. Maurice Baker © 2014