## Format

## Two co hosts (A, B) introduce the podcast and each of the sections.
## Each of the three other people (C, D, E) are introduced right before they begin their section.
## The co hosts do the transitions as well as the closing
## ​A -Reese
## ​B -Dani
## ​C - Zach
## ​D - Yeon Tae
## ​E - Isabella
## ​FX - Sound Effects

INTRODUCTION (1:10)

FX: Intro Music

A​: Welcome to The Country Corner where we welcome all things controversial in country
music, I’m Reese.
B​: and I’m Dani.
A​: And today we have with us Zachary, Yeon Tae, and Isabella to look at where country
music has come to today.
B​: We’re not just talking about country music today folks, but more specifically the
progressive liberal movement in contrast to the more traditional conservative themes the
genre has been boasting since its inception.
A​: That’s right [name of B], country music is traditionally seen as a manifestation of the
conservative values of the South, like God, Family, and Country. They are linked to
country music just as often as they are linked to the South.We also find themes of
Individualism, Limited Government, States Rights, and more broadly speaking, an
emphasis on social stability and continuity.
B​: Today we’ll be exploring how a new generation of singers are incorporating their own
liberal ideas into country music. Our guest [Zach] will get us started.

TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE MUSIC (3:00)

C​: It’s January of 2017, and Donald Trump is being sworn in as the president of the United
States.
FX​: Trump Inauguration: “I Donald J. Trump do solemnly swear. . .”
C​: Part of the festivities included performances from musical artists, including Oklahoma
native Toby Keith.
FX​: Toby Keith's performance
C​: While Keith was criticized for his decision to perform, it wasn’t surprising to find a country
singer performing for a Republican president. Country music, a genre that is connected
to the South in every way, is also tied to conservatism.
C​: Country music has a long history dating back to the 1920s. It finds its roots in Southern
hillbilly music, but has come to incorporate many other genres from throughout the
South, including swing, bluegrass, and Gospel. As country music developed into its own
distinct genre from the 1950s into the 1970s, we began to see the incorporation of
conservative ideas.
C​: Singers like North Carolinian Earl Scruggs included religious references throughout their
music, like in the 1974 song I Saw the Light
FX​: I Saw the Light
C​: Politics also found its way into country music, as singers became more explicit about
their beliefs. With the rise of a political and social counterculture on the left in the 1960s,
country singers became part of a conservative backlash that championed traditional
values. Here is the 1969 song Okie from Muskogee by California country singer Merle
Haggard.
FX​: Okie from Muskogee
C: Regardless, many artists wished for country music to stay independent of politics.
Consider Johnny Cash’s 1965 hit “The One on the Right Is on the Left”
FX​: The One on the Right Is on the Left
C​: The song makes fun of a band that breaks up because they have different political
views. Although the song was a critique of artists who talked about politics, it didn’t stop
artists from talking about their political values.
A​: Thanks for the background [Zachary]. Our guest [Yeon Tae] will talk more about
progressive liberal music

PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL MUSIC (4:00)

D​: Yep, thank you [name of A]. On the note of Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, someone
who was not performing at the ceremony was Garth Brooks, the best-selling country
singer from Oklahoma. He was criticized for turning down an offer to perform, especially
since he had performed at Barack Obama’s inauguration 8 years earlier in 2009.
FX​: We Shall Be Free
D​: Yes, then we shall be free. Garth’s music, despite being country, discusses many liberal
ideas. Inspired by the devastating Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in April of 1992, it is
most famously known for its discussion of race and gay rights. It’s message of
acceptance and inclusiveness made him a unique artist for his time and opened a new
group of liberal audiences to country music.
D​: Speaking of gay rights, many younger country music artists also share a liberal view on
marriage equality. For example, here is Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves
FX​: Follow Your Arrow “Kiss lots of boys/kiss lots of girls if that’s something you’re into”
D​: Kacey Musgraves is celebrated as the country music queen of the queer and in Follow
Your Arrow, she boldly speaks for LGBT rights. This song in fact won country song of the
 year in 2014, which signaled the beginning of a radical shift in political thought among
listeners of country music. Let’s listen to Space Cowboy, another song by Kacey.
FX​: Space Cowboy “​You can have your space, cowboy”
D​: Space Cowboy won best country song earlier this year and debunks the archetypal
cowboy at the center of conservative country music while making space for the queer
community in the genre.
D​: Another song from gay icon Kacey Musgraves, and also her highest-selling song to date,
is Merry Go Round, which stays true to the country music instrumentation yet avoids
country music stereotypes.
FX​: Merry Go Round “Mary Mary quite contrary, we get bored so we get married”
D: A depiction of a deconstructed and unromanticized small-town life coupled with a
dismantling of rural anthems puts discrimination in the spotlight and makes the song very
relatable to the LGBT community.

B​: Thank you [Yeon Tae]. Now our guest [Isabella] will talk about what all this means for
country music in the South.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE SOUTH (5:00)

E​: Yes I will, thank you [Dani]. Broadly speaking, the U.S. as a whole has become more
liberal over the past century. We see these changes everywhere, from women becoming
a major force in the workplace, to the legalization of abortion in the Roe v. Wade
decision. The liberal shift in country music may show that the South is not immune to
these changes
E​: However, some still question what it means to be a liberal country singer. Let's look at
feminism in country music.
FX​: Nixon resigning the presidency
E​: It’s 1975. Richard Nixon is no longer president, and the war in Vietnam is winding down.
Kentucky country artist Loretta Lynn has just released her new song “The Pill”.
FX​: The Pill
E​: Hormonal birth control had been legally available in the U.S. for only a few years, and it
was still considered taboo to talk about in public. Despite being banned from some
stations, Lynn’s song became a hit. While it hasn’t been proven, many doctors have
claimed that the song helped increase the use of birth control in much of rural America.
However, it’s not clear whether this feminism represented a shift in the South or if it was
simply an anomaly.
E​: Consider country singer turned pop star Taylor Swift
FX​: Taylor Swift song
E​: Despite being a self-proclaimed feminist who even endorsed Democratic candidates
during the 2018 midterm elections, Swift has become the target of intense criticism from
feminists. Her refusal to denounce Trump’s presidency has caused some on the left to
accuse her of even being part of the Alt-right.
E​: This may have more to do with the feminist movement than about country music, so we
won’t go any more in depth. But it can definitely be hard to figure where an artists lies on
the political spectrum.
E​: Let’s finish up by looking at one last inauguration
FX​: Inauguration
E​: This is President Obama’s second one in 2013. Country singer Brad Paisley had been
invited to perform at the ceremony. Paisley was seen as a rising music star, who
delicately discussed the issue of race in his songs. But this all changed just a few
months later with the release of his single “Accidental Racist”
FX​: Accidental Racist
E​: Paisley was ridiculed for his description of a white man talking to a black man. Many
found his description of Southern Reconstruction to be far from complete. Before he
knew it, Paisley was turned into a meme, and a warning about the fine line country
singers walk when discussing race.

CLOSING (0:30)

A​: Thank you [isabella]. Country music has come a long way from its humble origins in
eastern Tennessee.
B​: As the South has evolved, its music has also changed. Young artists are incorporating
new, previously taboo, topics into their music. As this trend continues, we are bound to
see conflict between conservative and liberal ideologies.
A​: Culture is never static. It continues to change as it is exposed to outside influences. We
can't wait to see how country music will look in the future.