Country Mike Blog

Controversial Country

Mike Sudhalter  |  October 6, 2008

Texas Country artists always seem to have more artistic freedom than Nashville, because of the smaller, more independent forum they get for recording their music.

Country music has always been less acceptable of controversy than other genres. Remember when Garth Brooks' "The Thunder Rolls" video was banned from TNN because it dealt with the subject of unfaithfulness. Cheatin' songs were not new to the genre by a longshot, but the end result was different.

The country world had progressed about a decade later when the Dixie Chicks recorded "Goodbye Earl", along with a humorous video that featured Dennis Franz as the title character. The video might have been funny, but the song's content was anything but. It focused on the very real problem of domestic violence.

A Texas Country song also takes on the topic, but most of America will probably never hear it. It's called "12 Gauge" by the Casey Donahew Band. And the lyrics are so blunt and powerful. "There's a 12 Gauge shotgun lying on the floor, she's not sure if he's breathing anymore.....but he's never going to hit her again, never going to hit her again."

These songs don't deal with pleasant topics, but sometimes we need to hear songs about real issues.