You Can't Handle the Truth

“I don't know why I keep on believin’ you need me,
When you prove so many times that it ain't true,
And I can't find one good reason for staying,
Maybe by leaving would be the best for you,

But these rose colored glasses, that I'm looking through,
Show only the beauty, cause they hide all the truth,

And they let me hold on to the good times, the good lines,
The ones I used to hear when I held you,
And they keep me from feeling so cheated, defeated,
When reflections in your eyes show me a fool.

These rose colored glasses, that I'm looking through,
Show only the beauty, cause they hide all the truth,

So I just keep on hopin’, believin’ that maybe,
By countin’ the many times I've tried,
You'll believe me when I say I love you and
I'll lay these rose colored glasses aside,

These rose colored glasses, that I'm looking through,
Show only the beauty, cause they hide all the truth.”
-“Rose Colored Glasses” by John Conlee

I had to reference the entire song because today is Mr. John Conlee’s 60th birthday. This is, hands down, my favorite country music song to date. There could be a future song written that could top this one, but the direction of country music (if that’s what you want to call it) currently pretty much shoots that down.

Sad to say, the newest country music album I own is a Trace Adkins greatest hits album. And I am not saying that is sad on my part. I am saying, without flinching, it is sad on the part of the country musicians laying down tracks today. Sure, Montgomery Gentry has some entertaining hits that I really dig, but really, it’s just not country. This is where I will give a little history.

The forefather of the “That Ain’t Country” movement was a fellow by the name of Charley Rich. He had a few great songs like “When We Get Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”. During the 1975 Country Music Awards, Charley was announcing the winner of the Male Entertainer of the Year. As he read the envelope announcing John Denver as the winner, he casually flipped open his lighter and burned the envelope right there on stage. This all appeared to be a stab at the Music Row-controlled Nashville Sound.

A perpetuator of the movement in more current years (and one of my favorite musicians) is Larry Cordle (writer of “Highway 40 Blues” performed by Ricky Skaggs and “Lonesome Standard Time” by Kathy Mattea). Larry, a Paintsville, Kentucky native, penned a now famous tune sang by the likes of Alan Jackson and later recorded by himself on the album titled the same, “Murder on Music Row”. Here is a sample of his distaste for today's country music:

“Nobody saw him running from Sixteenth Avenue
They never found a fingerprint or the weapon that was used.
Someone killed country music.
Cut out its heart and soul.
They got away with murder down on Music Row.

The almighty dollar and the lust for worldwide fame
Slowly killed tradition and for that someone should hang.
They all say “Not Guilty”,
But the evidence will show
That murder was committed down on Music Row.

For the steel guitars no longer cry
And you can’t hear fiddles play,
With drums and rock-n-roll guitars
Are mixed right up in your face.
Well, Ol’ Hank wouldn’t have a chance
On today’s radio.
They’ve committed murder down on music row.”

This is probably the main reason that I am a huge fan of Larry Cordle. He is quite the traditionalist. I feel we see eye to eye. He was an accounting classmate of my father’s at Morehead State. Dad told me one time Larry showed up for an early Monday morning class looking like warmed over hell. Larry said to Dad, “Randall, this music is gonna kill me!”
That’s how I feel about the subject.

This past weekend was a heck of a time. We had some fun in Lexington for sure. I slayed some ribs on the grill this weekend. They were nothing less than funktastic. We even got in a few games of cornhole. Alex, you’re one of the best cornholers I’ve seen. Joel, you’re the worst female cornholer I’ve seen. Yeah, take it, 899. We were 2301!!!
Got to go.