"Defying the laws of Authenticity"
Willie Nelson has never tried to use the image as the authentic music star with high quality production, and lyrics that are specifically intended to draw in customers. He sung songs about what he believed in, such as topics like heartbreak, marijuana, and lonesome. Willie Nelson was just a hippie at heart with a passion for Country Music. Defying the confining laws of typical Nashville music, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings became the leaders of the group of the "renegade musicians" known as The Outlaws. At Willie Nelson's concerts one will see all genders, and all ages because of Nelson's flexibility and timeless style. Analysts say today that if you ask Willie Nelson what his style of music is, he will most likely reply with something like "a combination of my thoughts, memories, and mood at the time of making my music.
Cowboys ain't easy to love and they're harder to hold.
They'd rather give you a song than diamonds or gold.
Lonestar belt buckles and old faded Levis,
And each night begins a new day.
If you don't understand him, an' he don't die young,
He'll probably just ride away
This is a song about cowboys and how they are not as appealing as they appear to be, he sings about how cowboys like ladies of the night, and they are not very good to bring around to you're family. Also how if a woman cannot understand them, they will just pack up and ride away and think nothing of it. Willie’s business and creative philosophy has been practically the direct opposite of the rest of the country music industry. The typical way of recording music says to send out your songs in parts to keep the people waiting and record one album every few years to not get played out. Willie’s philosophy has been to record as much and as often as he can. Also tour as much as he can and as long as he can. Willie lives on a big ranch where he plays 18 + holes of golf every single day he is not touring. When he is questioned about retiring, he says "all I do is play golf and music, which one do you want me to give up"?
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ReplyDeleteI thought your post made a really compelling argument for Nelson's authenticity without specifically saying it, which, I thought was very well done. We both addressed Nelson's widespread appeal in our blogs, which I think is significant because that is such an important thing to recognize about him. Because he does not try to fit the mold of what a country artist should be, he is arguably more authentic because it is clear that he is just being himself. This is especially evident when Nashville didn’t like his music and he didn’t change it, he just took it to Austin, a city that appreciated it. I thought you did a great job capturing his genuine appreciation for music and his general philosophy, however my only criticism is that I would have liked to see a little bit more lyrical analysis even though Nelson's songs are very deep and complex, which makes them quite challenging to analyze. I really liked that you chose “Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys” because it is somewhat reflective of Nelson’s perception of himself as a rebel and an outlaw. It is interesting that you chose this out of all of Nelson’s songs though because he has so many to choose from and having to pick the most “mainstream” hits was difficult because Willie’s songs really don't engage with the demands of pop-culture.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talked about how Willy sees himself, and how he stays authentic by sticking to what he believes in. I thought that by describing him as a hippy with a passion for country music. By explaining that he appeals to a wide range people it gives more insight on which he is targeting with his music. I thought that you didn't really explain the song that much. The parts that you did interpret though were very interesting thoughts. I thought it was interesting that Willy Nelson is modest about being so old in his career. The last quote is funny that all he does is play golf and make music.
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