Outlaw country music and punk rock share common roots.
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Music General
Garou — 6 years ago(August 17, 2019 04:14 AM)
Both grew out of their respective genres in the 60s to protest the mainstream establishment and reflect the political change that was taking place.
Outlaw country artists didn't like the direction country music was taking at the time, with artists like Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley, with a slick perfected studio production values and wholesome lyrics that were typically love songs. In Outlaw country, the lyrics became more political, sexual, and introspective, reflecting southern culture with themes of alcohol, trucks, blue-collar working, and the exultation of being white trash, and the music became more twangy.
Both punk and outlaw country artists changed their image to distinct themselves from commercial artists. Punk rockers shaved their head, or cut it short, and dyed it. Outlaws grew their hair and bears long. Both would often have offensively-titled songs to shock and protest the mainstream.
It wasn't about the complexity of the music, it was about the messages in the lyrics. Both were relatively easy to play, and you didn't have to be the singer. The New York Dolls playing punk gave them the opportunity to play music without knowing how to. If they missed a chord, no one would no the difference.
Outlaw country music is Merle Haggard, Johnny Paycheck, Hank Williams Jr., David Allan Coe, Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, and Charlie Daniels, and those guys.
The themes of both punk and outlaw would end up evolving into their commercial counterparts. Pop-punk bands like Good Charlotte sing with perfected catchy melodies, a commercial studio sound, but still sing about the themes that were in punk rock. Mainstream country like Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, would occasionally sing about pick-up trucks, work, alcohol, and honky-tonks.
Love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being, and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin.