“STORIES IN COUNTRY MUSIC” (SERIES) 1

by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka”

Why, Country Music? , many friends ask me. So many types of “Music” all around us, why do you love “Country Music” so much? . My answer, as always, is straightforward & to the point. While I love all types of Music, I was born with music in me, an inheritance I humbly thank my God for, & my choice in Music is simple, melodic, and, above everything else, totally unforgettable. There is absolutely no point in listening to a piece of Music, admiring it’s presentation & then “forgetting” the tune, five minutes later.

Also, I am a strictly “middle of the road” man, where Music is concerned. Where “Jazz” is the theme, I have always preferred “Trad.Jazz”. Without any doubt, whatsoever, there are some superb Jazz musicians around, Australian James Morrison being a prime example, but unfortunately, too many so-called Jazz-Musos seem to take well-known “songs”(I speak of the Instrumentalists now), superbly “interpret” the Music on their particular instruments while, at the same time, garbling a well-known tune into a tangled-up mess of Music. Luckily, this does not happen with Traditional-Jazz. The song played is recognisable.

The same goes with “Heavy-Classics” in Classical Music. The Music is fine, the “chords” generally played are straight out of Music theory books, the tunes, mostly are MOST forgettable, & the ” Pieces” go on & on, only to be completely forgotten, two minutes later. Piano-Classics are excellent “sleeping pills” & are very good aids for insomniacs in the bedroom (played very softly, of course). Still, I love the Classics too. Light-Classics from “Greats” like Strauss & Lehar.
Theirs, are examples of beautiful Music, easy to listen to and easy to dance-to, as well, especially Waltz-to.

For me, Music means “Memories”, melodies that pull you, almost forcibly, into a state of mind that enables you to “remember” the people & events in your life past, going forward, as we all do. MUSIC is one of the basic ingredients of LIFE. Good, melodic Music makes you “feel good”. Many folk might tell you that “Country Music” depresses them. I have to disagree. I would categorise Country Music simply as “The Music of Life”. Anybody & EVERYBODY faces both good & bad times,happy & sad times in life. The late, great Jim Reeves DID record quite a few “sad-songs, but he also recorded some very “happy” songs like “Bimbo” etc., so listen to the great “voice” & be happy or sad with Jim. No need to get “depressed”, unless you are generally the “depressed-type.”

My “Stories in Country Music” Series commences with a “chorus” of a song featured in the “Country-Genre” of the 80’s/90’s (my preferred era of these “Country- Songs” recorded by various “Artistes”) This is what I mean about “life”, Clever Lyrics & superb, simple, unforgettable “numbers” that I listen to, dozens of times without ever getting fed-up. My readers of e’Lanka will be able to “google” the song in, if they are interested. This will be a “Series” in which I hope to convince them that Country-Music is the greatest Music around. Some of the “examples” will also be Original Compositions of “your’s truly” which I hope you’ll enjoy. Here we go then, Please enjoy when you get the chance.
“CHORUS ONLY”

“WE’RE ALL HERE, BECAUSE WE’RE NOT ALL THERE
SOME RAMBLE ENDLESSLY, SOME, SIT AND STARE
BUT THERE’S ONE THING, THAT WE ALL SHARE
WE’RE ALL HERE, BECAUSE WE’RE NOT ALL THERE”.

Great song, great lyrics, great tune about “drunks”
who spend their time in the “Honky-Tonks”around the World..

Desmond Kelly.
Star of eLanka”.
(Above song helps me remember my time in the Royal Ceylon Navy) D.K.