Posted on 06/04/2013 6:14:10 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator
There are a lot of strange songs out there. But how many strange country songs are there? (By "country" I include "hillbilly," "western," "western swing," and "bluegrass," but not "folk" simply because there are oodles and oodles of bizarre folk songs). For the most part country is the sane, genre, the level-headed genre, the "plain folks" genre. But I've found a country song that is disturbing and bizarre, and I'm sure some of you have found others as well.
Many years ago on the old Porter Wagoner TV show I saw Porter perform a song he had written but wished he hadn't. He apologized for the strange song then introduced Speck Rhodes for his comedy segment, and Speck teased him unmercifully. It was a hoot.
Anyway, this Porter Wagoner song was The Rubber Room, and Porter (if I remember correctly) said he realized that the song could be disturbing to people who had loved ones who were institutionalized. That was the first and, until recently, the only time I had ever heard the song.
The other day I did a search for this song and found the original record on YouTube.
But apparently in later years he changed his mind about the song because I also found this video of Porter the year he died performing it live. He's almost 80 years old, and it's just him singing accompanied by nothing but two acoustic guitars (his and Marty Stuart's). This time (unlike the record) there are no electronic sound effects to augment the performance. It's so sparse I think it's more emotionally stirring than the original recording.
And oddly enough, I've found that there are several covers of the song by younger artists who weren't even around when I heard Porter sing the song on his TV show. Apparently it's considered shocking and "edgy."
Well . . . this is my candidate for weirdest/most bizarre country song. Does anyone else have one? (Again, folk songs don't count simply because so many of them are bizarre.)
I think that was the Geezinslaw Brothers (sp?). At least I saw them perform it once.
Honorable Mention to Toby Keiths “I Ain’t Drunk, I’m Just Pukin”
That is hilarious! I'd never heard of that one!
"How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?"
"If I Had Shot You When I Wanted To, I'd Be Out By Now"
“Grandma Got Run over By A Reindeer”
Not country, but I’ve been befuddled at “Ain’t Got No Home” by Clarence “Frogman” Henry, given that it was written in 1956.
18 seconds too long. And for self-referential, I’ll take “The Gary Shandling Theme Song.” Although, it seems few people pay attention to Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.”
By David Allan Coe. I remember it well, and yes, it's hilarious.
No one’s written it yet, but an old friend, who’s long dead now, had a great title for a country song, but never got any further than the title.
Here it is for one of you song writers out there to run with:
“Please don’t monkey with my widder when I’m gone.”
Roger Miller
“You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd.”
“If My Nose Was Running Money, I’d Blow It All On You”
and others, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpVhn9ErzDA
Achy breaky heart the all time stupidest song ever.
Two immediately come to mind.
“Opal You Asked Me” by Tommy Collins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lwOJuQWZ34
And “Hawaiian Cowboy” by Sol K. Bright:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqQvDzvatII
Even though this was recorded in 1936, it’s STILL one of my favorites.
That’s funny! I’m gonna work on memorizing that..........
I Ain’t No Homo (But You Sure Look Good To Me) - Doyle and Debbie
And screw?
She kissed him at the station as he went off in his uniform.
I had an apartment up front; she had a flat behind.
Use to kiss her lips, but it’s all over now!
While yer’ looking out fer’ number one, don’t step in number two
Darn near all of them don’t. Blake Shelton, Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Gretchen Trailer park, none are country they are crock artists. Pop/rockers who couldn’t make it and moved to country. Square toed boot wearing, shirt tail out, tattoed doofuses.
Aaron Watson is following in the footsteps of George Strait and staying true to the music.
Ko-ko Joe, Jerry Reed
Wikipedia:
“The song, composed by Reed himself, begins with the description of a man living on the banks of the Etowah River, (as Reed calls it “cottonmouth country”). As the locals seem to tell it, he’s a long-haired, dirty-clothed survivalist who drinks homemade brew and eats exotic meats. He is ostracized by these same locals who think of him as both a bum and ‘crazy’. Reminiscent of the ‘maligned’ character’s ‘redemption’ found in Hank Williams’ 1953 song, “Be Careful of Stones That You Throw” (in that case a woman), the third verse tells us about the day (one year before the song’s telling), when the dam on the river burst, washing away everything in its path. We learn from the headlines of that day about a mother who told of how Ko-Ko pulled her son from the flood waters, saving the boy’s life. Reed leaves it ambiguous as to whether Ko-Ko survived.”
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