Controversial Songs from Country Music's Past - Part I

 

We don't live in the same world we lived in last year - or even last month. And we most certainly don't don't live in a world that much resembles the one some of us experienced six or seven decades ago. For the most part, I believe we are all living in a much more tolerant society today than we have at any time of our lives, one that is pretty much "live and let live" except for the relatively small number of dedicated agitators with nothing better to do. And while I think that we most often go too far in our methods, those still living in the past are quickly called out about it by their peers.  

I don't approve of "cancel culture," in general, because I think more innocent people than deserving ones are having their lives ruined by the relatively tiny internet mobs on Twitter and Facebook. After all anyone can unintentionally say or do something stupid if they don't have the latest playbook in their back pocket - and there's certainly nothing to be gained by punishing people for something they did years earlier because they were the product of the culture and mores in which they were living at the time. 

Cultural sensitivities change, and there may be no better example of the kind of thing I'm talking about than this selection of country songs from the past. Some of these are what we used to call "novelty songs" when we still rather innocently laughed at lyrics and images like these. Today, I find most of them cringe-worthy, but I post them here simply to show how the music world has changed - not to criticize the singers or songwriters because they lived when they happened to live.

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Tim McGraw's Red Ragtop took a strong stance on the abortion issue. This was a pretty brave recording even in late 2002 when the song was released - and McGraw did feel some backlash - but I wonder if he would dare to record this in 2022 when it's much more dangerous to take such a strong stand on either side of the issue.

Then you have the "cultural appropriation" issues that were seldom considered in 1969 when Loretta Lynn recorded "Your Squaw Is on the Warpath." Loretta's song itself still strikes me as being more sassy than offensive, but the album cover caused a bit of a controversy even then, especially the front photo.

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Wanda Jackson's "Fujiyama Mama" doesn't get off quite so lightly because some of its lyrics must have been a little painful when the record was released only a dozen years after the end of World War II (in 1957). Strangely, the song did not do all that well in this country, but was a number one hit in Japan, of all places.

 

The Bellamy Brothers, who have thrived on borderline or controversial lyrics most of their career released "Mexico Came Here" in 2011. Really, it's not the lyrics so much but the video that has some calling this one politically incorrect because of all the stereotypes on display. 

One of my favorite bluegrass singers, Junior Sisk, inadvertently stirred things up around 2013 when he released a song called "Old Bicycle Chain," a song in which the narrator threatens to whip his wife with an old bicycle chain if she doesn't straighten up. In this live festival video he's reminding folks that it's all a joke, but some never bought his explanation. I've seen Junior sing this one live once or twice (and I enjoyed it) but I doubt its still on his setlist.