As with many Americans, my emotions have been on a roller coaster, steadily increasing from the time the words WuFlu were first uttered, through riots, an election for the ages, a mob scene at the federal capital and the resulting removal of right wingers from (im?)polite society. I’ve been angry at the hypocrisy, frustrated by the gas-lighting, worried about a potential collapse of the economy on par with the Great Depression, and worst of all, sad about the future my three pre-teen to early teen kids will have.

With all of that happening, I try to grab some light-hearted music to play on my Bluetooth earplugs at work. Mainstream radio-driven country music from the last decade is mostly vacuous garbage, but there are some ok tunes. I happened to find an old playlist of mine called ‘New Country’ from about five years ago. I think I made this one for our road trip to South Carolina to keep the kids happy. Anyway, a couple songs popped up that made me think of current events in a bit different way.

First, let’s listen to what may be the song that most perfectly encompasses my thoughts and feelings about current events and life in general. The video is worth watching, if only once. It’s ‘cute’.

Lyrics:
Taking down your neighbor won’t take you any higher
I burned my own damn finger poking someone else’s fire
I’ve never gotten taller making someone else feel small
If you ain’t got nothing nice to say don’t say nothing at all

Chorus:
Just hoe your own row and raise your own babies
Smoke your own smoke and grow your own daisies
Mend your own fences and own your own crazy
Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy
Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy

Nobody’s perfect, we’ve all lost and we’ve all lied
Most of us have cheated the rest of us have tried
The holiest of the holy even slip from time to time
We’ve all got dirty laundry hanging on the line

Repeat Chorus

Pouring salt in my sugar won’t make yours any
Pissing in my yard ain’t gonna make yours any greener*
I wouldn’t know about the rocks in your shoes
So I’ll just do me and honey you can just do you

* This is my favorite line and seeing it come out of such an innocent looking woman adds the cherry on top.

Frankly, I could drop the mike at this point, but there is another song that many would do well to take to heart right now. !!Watch the video!! It’s hilarious!

 

Lyrics:

We ain’t East, we ain’t West
We ain’t left, we ain’t right
We ain’t black, we ain’t white
We just came here to drink
We’re all mud flap suburbans
All ball caps and turbans
All prom queens and strippers
Where the whole kitchen sink and then here,
We’re the same, everyone knows your name

We just raise up our glass
We don’t give a rat’s ass
If you’re a democrat or republican
We’re happy to be here and that you can see
We’re just all drunk Americans

We ain’t second ex wives,
We ain’t cowboys or redskins
We ain’t preachers or kingpins
We’re just having fun
We’re all suits in blue collars
Short orders long hollers
Paper and plastic, too old and too young
CEOs, GEDs, DUIs, FBIs, PHDs

And we raise up our glass
We don’t give a rat’s ass
If your belly’s too fat, or your wallet’s too thin
We’re happy to be here and that you can see
We’re just all drunk Americans

We been in, we been out
we been cool, we been weird
Thank God we’re still here
In the land of the free
And we all, singin’ wrong
But we all sing along
Sing along

We just raise up our glass
We don’t give a rat’s ass
If you’re a democrat or republican
We’re happy to be here and that you can see
We’re just all drunk Americans

In these neon lights
We’re all stars we’re all stripes
And We’re all drunk Americans

I had a couple more, but better to keep the audience wanting, amirite?! Hopefully this added a little fun to your day since we could all use it. I’m not a religious person, but let me leave you with the words of the great philosopher Billy Currington:

God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.

P.S. Copying links sent me down a rabbit hole. Billy Currington has some funny videos. Dog lovers and hen-pecked husbands (among others) will like this one. I also dug up some underground, never before seen footage of a yokel Glib get together.